I. It is the responsibility of the state of New Hampshire through the department of health and human services, to conserve the expenditure of public assistance funds, whenever possible, in order that such funds shall not be expended if there are private funds available or which can be made available by judicial process or otherwise to partially or completely meet the financial needs of the children of this state. The failure of parents to provide adequate financial support and care for their children is a major cause of financial dependency on this state.
II. The purpose of this chapter is to provide this state, through the department of health and human services, a more effective and efficient way to effect the support of dependent children by the person or persons who, under the law, are primarily responsible for such support and to lighten the heavy burden of the taxpayer, who in many instances is paying toward the support of dependent children while those persons primarily responsible are avoiding their obligations. It is the intention of the legislature that the powers delegated to the department in this chapter shall be in addition to the powers granted by RSA 161, RSA 167, or other existing laws and shall be liberally construed to the end that persons legally responsible for the care and support of children within the state be required to assume their legal obligations in order to reduce the financial cost of the state in providing public assistance funds for the care of the children.