About Us

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The Waypoint advocacy program is dedicated to improving the lives of children and families through legislative, judicial and public policy initiatives.

The impact of the Waypoint advocacy program can be felt over generations. Here is a brief overview of some of the ways we’ve promoted community commitment to the needs of children and helped to create a more humane world for NH kids:

  • Revised child abuse and neglect laws.
  • Launched the Foster Care Health Project.
  • Co-founded NH CARES and the NH Children’s Alliance.
  • Co-wrote the guardianship of minors law.
  • Promoted day care licensing.
  • Evolved a restorative juvenile justice model.
  • Revised action settlement laws to ensure availability and stability of critical services to children.
  • Shepherded every change in adoption laws since the laws were written.
  • Championed CHINS (Children in Need of Services).
  • Worked to enact legislation to eliminate the use of corporal punishment in residential and educational facilities.
  • Coordinated a statewide effort to preserve funding for programs that work to improve birth outcomes for at-risk babies.
  • Prioritized the best interests of children in divorce cases.
  • Beat back legislation that would have impeded child abuse and neglect investigations
  • Defended expanded Medicaid, ensuring coverage for over 50,000 individuals.
  • Prompted the new Office of Child Advocate to oversee and improve the state’s child protection system.
  • Worked with coalition to raise the age of majority in NH to 18.
  • Worked with coalition on reforms to Sununu Center.


VOICE FOR CHILDREN: In 1986, Waypoint (Child and Family Services) established the Voice for Children award, an honor bestowed almost yearly to a New Hampshire citizen who has shown an outstanding commitment to and made a tremendous difference in the lives of children and families. Upon the retirement of long-time agency advocate, Jack Lightfoot, the agency renamed it the Jack Lightfoot Voice for Children Award. Here is a list of recent past honorees:

2019:  Eileen Mullen, NH DHHS

2017: Representative Mary Stewart Gile

2016: Marcia “Marty” Sink, CASA NH

2015: Anna Thomas, MPH, City of Manchester, NH Health Department

2014: Hon. Thomas Bamberger

For a complete list of past winners, click here: Voice for Children Past Winners

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Keith Kuenning Advocate Attorney

Keith is a licensed attorney and counselor at law with a Bachelors of Arts-Political Science degree, Juris Doctor, and Masters of Arts in Law & International Affairs. Before Waypoint, he worked with youth in Nepal and was also the ED of NHCEH.

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Emily Lawrence Deputy Director

Emily holds a BA in psychology with a concentration in child development from Barnard College, and a JD from New England Law, Boston. After 10 years as a law clerk with New Hampshire Superior and Supreme Courts, Emily became the first associate child advocate and legal counsel with the New Hampshire Office of Child Advocate.


Waypoint's 10th Annual Sleepout

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