Tagged: Family

Part of the Family Matters series

The Great Recession slammed into all age groups, flattening the career dreams of young people and squeezing the retirement accounts of middle-aged savers. It financially crippled many elderly people who had thought they could stand on their own.

To cope with the hard times that began five years ago, millions of families pulled together — stacking two, three, even four generations on top of one another. Between 2007 and 2009, the total number of Americans living in multigenerational households shot up more than 10 percent, from 46.5 million to 51.4 million.

Meg Cadoux Hirshberg talks about her new book, a guide for preserving family life while pursuing an entrepreneurial dream.

So-called helicopter parents first made headlines on college campuses a few years ago, when they began trying to direct everything from their children's course schedules to which roommate they were assigned.

With millennial children now in their 20s, more helicopter parents are showing up in the workplace, sometimes even phoning human resources managers to advocate on their child's behalf.

Megan Huffnagle, a former human resources manager at a Denver theme park, recalls being shocked several years ago when she received a call from a young job applicant's mother.

The story of Steve Lickteig is one he only recently discovered himself. In his new documentary, he shows the raw emotion of confronting his family about a life shrouded in lies.

Good Beginnings of the Upper Valley pairs trained volunteers with new parents to help them with day to day needs after a child's birth. Ruth’s story is the mother of four, including triplets. Sally Wood is a Good Beginnings volunteer.

RUTH: When I found out I was expecting triplets I figured I would need some help, so I contacted Good Beginnings. They set me up with Sally, my volunteer.

Court-Appointed Special Advocates of New Hampshire provides advocates in court for children who are abused or neglected. Chris placed in foster care at age 16, was assigned a CASA worker to advocate for him. Antonia Andreoli was Chris’ advocate, and was a constant presence for him through the court and foster care process.

CHRIS: Through all the judges and foster parents and case workers and everything that I was dealing with, Antonia was the one person that was stable throughout my two years in the foster care system. I absolutely love her.

The Community Child Care Center of Portsmouth provides child care, early education and before- and after-school programs. When Christine Hegarty’s husband passed away, the center provided support to her and her children, Erin and Quinn.

CHRSTINE: What had really appealed to both my husband and myself was the care the kids got and the feeling that was provided by the staff.  And what happened was going to community child care, that really was their neighborhood. My kids loved it. They never wanted to leave.

Judiciary committee votes 11-6 to replace same-sex marriage with civil unions for any unmarried adults – even relatives. NHPR's Josh Rogers reports

By an 11 to 6 margin the house judiciary committee voted to undo the state’s 15-month-old gay marriage law and replace it with civil union for any unmarried adults – even relatives. The bill’s lead sponsor, Republican David Bates of Windham, says he expects the full House to endorse the proposal as drafted.

"What happens in the Senate I am less certain about. Senators may decide they want something different in it. But I think what is in this bill is worth passing as it is."