CONCORD, N.H. — Moira O’Neill, who was appointed New Hampshire’s first State Child Advocate in 2018, announced Wednesday that she will not seek a second, four-year term.
The office was created as an independent oversight agency for the state Division of Children, Youth and Families. It was part of an effort to reform the state’s child protection system in the wake of two toddler deaths in 2014 and 2015. Last year, a new law expanded its oversight to all state agencies that provide services to children, as well as to other public and private organizations.
The office’s work has included systemic reviews of the use of of restraint and seclusion of children in residential care and how the state supports infants born exposed to drugs and alcohol.
In her letter to Gov. Chris Sununu, O’Neill, whose term ends on Jan. 30, 2022, said the success of the office and the transparency in government it promotes is a source of pride for the state.
“I commend you for your willingness to support an entity and process that is not always comfortable in the pursuit of quality improvements,” she wrote. “The next step for a healthy organization is to assure its strength is not tied to a specific leader. Therefor, I made the decision to step away.”
O’Neill had been an assistant child advocate in Connecticut for 11 years before coming to New Hampshire.