Background

        Hannah House was founded in 1984, and we were finally able to open the residence for young pregnant and parenting moms and their babies in 1988. When we started out, the founders and staff initially thought the girls would melt with gratitude if they were only shown a little TLC.

        Boy, were we dreaming!

        The founders really had to learn the ropes of working with youth at risk. Generally speaking, the kids we serve have been badly used by most of the adults in their lives, so they're inclined to be more prickly than cuddly toward people trying to help them. The most important part of what we do at Hannah House is establishing the relationships of trust that will mentor very young parents in becoming strong and caring adults, capable of raising healthy and confident children.

        The road to gaining that trust can get pretty rocky. The work is intensive. It takes good people, professionals qualified in working with kids at risk. Our successes transform lives and enhance the potential of two generations of youth at risk - the young parent and her infant.

        Today, Hannah House serves residential clients from all over New Hampshire and Vermont. We can house up to six moms and their babies at a time. Our local community outreach program serves pregnant and parenting youth who continue to live in their own neighborhoods in the Upper Valley (Grafton County, New Hampshire and Windsor County, Vermont).