I urge lawmakers to reject SB 341 and protect vital teacher and student relationships that support a child’s identity, help children have hope, and help them learn. This bill, if passed into law, will destroy trust and deprive adolescents of a major source of support in their lives. As a retired child and family therapist, I have heard from numerous adolescents over the years how crucially important to them were their relationships with a trusted adult at school. To repeat, this is normative in our society, and there is ample evidence of the many developmental benefits to youth who have the trusted support of adults beyond the family.

In fact, in 2022, the New Hampshire Department of Education implemented the One Trusted Adult program in our state, citing how critical an accessible and caring adult is to a child’s well-being and success. I’m 77, and in my life, not just in my work, it has been the exception, rare, to meet anyone who turned to parents first and always with their adolescent dilemmas and struggles. In my own adolescent years, I personally benefited greatly from relationships of trust and support with several adults in addition to my parents. Please contact your NH state senator today and urge them to reject SB 341.

Lois Ann Cote

Manchester