- New bill aims to change ‘culture of silence’ in NH’s recovery community (NHPR, 12/18/2023)
- A new bill in New Hampshire aims to address the “culture of silence” in the state’s recovery community by enhancing oversight of substance use disorder treatment programs. The bill proposes to create a certification system for addiction treatment providers, overseen by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, which would be mandatory for operation. The legislation also mandates the publication of a list of certified programs by the state health department.
- As state’s school voucher program expands, legislative oversight committee has not met in a year (New Hampshire Bulletin, 12/8/2025)
- A legislative oversight committee responsible for monitoring New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account (EFA) program has not met in over a year, despite the program’s rapid expansion and rising costs. According to the New Hampshire Bulletin, lawmakers intended for the committee to provide ongoing evaluation, but it has remained inactive amid concerns about program transparency and accountability. Some legislators have called for the committee to reconvene to assess the program’s impact and financial oversight.
- EFA oversight committee to meet this month after year-long lapse (News from the States, 12/10/2025)
- New Hampshire’s legislative oversight committee for the Education Freedom Account (EFA) program is scheduled to meet this month after not convening for over a year. The meeting follows concerns raised by lawmakers over the committee’s inactivity during a period of significant growth in the EFA program. According to legislators, the upcoming session will focus on reviewing the program’s operations and discussing potential improvements to oversight mechanisms.
- NH Lawmakers Probe ‘Illegal Practices’ at Youth Detention Center (Manchester Today, 4/12/2026)
- New Hampshire lawmakers are investigating allegations of illegal practices at a youth detention center, including claims involving abuse, misconduct, and failures in oversight. According to legislators, the inquiry will examine how state officials handled complaints and whether administrators failed to report or address problems. Lawmakers said the probe could lead to additional hearings and possible policy changes for juvenile detention facilities.
- NH Lawmakers Probe ‘Illegal Practices’ at Youth Detention Center (Manchester Today, 4/12/2026)
- New Hampshire lawmakers are investigating allegations of illegal practices at a youth detention center, including claims involving abuse, misconduct, and failures in oversight. According to legislators, the inquiry will examine how state officials handled complaints and whether administrators failed to report or address problems. Lawmakers said the probe could lead to additional hearings and possible policy changes for juvenile detention facilities.
- As lawmakers scrutinize abuse allegations, three staff are assaulted at state’s youth detention center (New Hampshire Public Radio, 5/5/2026)
- Lawmakers investigating the Sununu Youth Services Center say they are facing continued resistance and limited transparency from state officials, even as three staff members were recently injured during an assault involving multiple youths. They raised new concerns about ongoing safety issues, including the facility’s continued use of strip searches despite having a body scanner that went unused for a year, and unresolved questions about an extended lockdown that lasted up to six weeks. Before concluding their inquiry, legislators want testimony from the center’s director, Joshua Nye, as multiple investigations by state oversight agencies continue.
- Report finds the state failed children at NH’s youth detention center. Here are 5 takeaways. (New Hampshire Public Radio, 5/26/2026)
- According to a report released by the Legislature’s Oversight Commission on Children’s Services, the Division for Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and former Sununu Youth Services Center leadership failed to provide adequate oversight, staffing, training, and implementation of a legally required trauma-informed care model. The commission cited concerns about transparency, alleged illegal restraints and lockdown practices, staffing shortages, and the impact of budget cuts, while recommending expanded authority and funding for the Office of the Child Advocate and considering additional oversight of DCYF. The report also noted some improvements, including restored access to education and exercise, positive feedback on certain staff and educational services, and the adoption of a policy to begin using body scanners instead of strip searches.
- ‘They cannot be trusted’: NH lawmaker seeks removal of DHHS and DCYF leaders after youth at SYSC hospitalized (New Hampshire Public Radio, 7/21/2026)
- According to the New Hampshire Office of the Child Advocate, lawmakers, and state officials, ongoing concerns at the Sununu Youth Services Center include a recent assault that hospitalized a resident, the resignation of the facility’s clinical director over reported ethical concerns, and questions about staffing, safety, and notification procedures. During a legislative meeting, Sen. Victoria Sullivan called for the removal of the state’s Health and Human Services commissioner and the Division for Children, Youth and Families director, citing leadership failures, while the Child Advocate’s office raised concerns about its independence as the attorney general’s office assumes a greater role during a leadership vacancy. The Department of Health and Human Services said it has implemented measures to improve operations and safety, including increased staffing efforts, additional training, body camera plans, and operational consulting.
