As Ayotte Takes Victory Lap on Child Well-Being Rankings, Serious Allegations of Abuse Persist at Sununu Youth Services Center
As Ayotte Takes Victory Lap on Child Well-Being Rankings, Serious Allegations of Abuse Persist at Sununu Youth Services Center
Kelly Ayotte is taking a victory lap, celebrating New Hampshire's top ranking for child well-being in the 2026 Kids Count report. Meanwhile, serious allegations of abuse continue to emerge from the state’s own youth detention center.
Under Ayotte’s watch, at the Sununu Youth Services Center, there have been reports of staff using “military-style training” and a “hands-on” approach, which has resulted in serious injuries for children in state custody, including a minor who suffered a broken bone after being placed in an illegal restraint.
Kelly claims she has protected “access to critical services for kids.” But just months ago, she signed a budget that gutted funding for the Office of the Child Advocate. She reduced staff capacity by nearly half, ignored repeated warning signs from the independent watchdog about the dangers of doing so, and ultimately stripped away critical safeguards for vulnerable children across the state.
And while Ayotte’s eager to pop the champagne, she conveniently left out the fact that the report relies on data from 2024, before she was governor.
“Children are allegedly being abused under Kelly Ayotte’s watch,” said NHDP Chair Ray Buckley. “It’s hard to celebrate being the best state for children when your administration is facing serious allegations of abuse, and you’ve spent the last several months gutting the very office responsible for protecting vulnerable kids.”
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