MANCHESTER, N.H.- New Hampshire’s Office of the Child Advocate says it’s increasing its oversight of the Sununu Youth Service Center in Manchester following an investigation into reports of abuse and neglect along with claims of “illegal practices” at the facility.
Officials said Thursday they’re now making weekly appearances on site after receiving a call back on March 9, 2026, from a child living at the facility along with an additional complaint about the improper use of a physical restraint, which officials say led to a child suffering a broken bone. Which led to an expanded investigation into additional complaints which resulted in a lengthy lockdown of the campus and the restriction of kid’s movement, preventing them from even being able to go outside.
With that officials say they’ll continue working with the Division of Children Youth and Families and the Center’s director Joshua Nye in addressing concerns on how the center will function moving forward.
Following the reports of alleged abuse at the Manchester facility the Attorney General’s office issued a statement on how they’re approaching the situation.
“The New Hampshire Department of Justice takes concerns raised by the Child Advocate very seriously. The safety and well-being of children in state custody is of paramount importance.The Department of Justice has been working with the Child-Advocate, the Department of Health and Human Services, and memebers of the Oversight Commission to ensure that all parties invovled cooperate in an effort to thoroughly review these concerns and address any violations of law or applicable policies.“
