New Hampshire Community Conversation, a virtual town hall focused on addressing issues impacting the Granite State during the COVID-19 pandemic, recently announced its next discussion will take place on July 1 at noon and will focus on how we can support our most vulnerable children during the pandemic.

The discussion will feature Joy Barrett, Executive Director of the Granite State Children’s Alliance, and Moira O’Neill, Ph.D., Director of the NH Office of the Child Advocate. The starting point of the conversation will be the unexpected finding that abuse reports to the State Division for Children, Youth and Families are actually down dramatically since the beginning of the pandemic. The moderators and guests will discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted children both physically and emotionally, and will examine the long-term ramifications for communities and businesses when child abuse goes unchecked.

NH Community Conversation is a live, moderated exchange that tackles important issues for Granite State citizens and explores ideas and viewpoints on how we move forward. Together. The series was created by Tiffany Eddy, a former broadcast journalist, and Julie Alig, Ph.D.

This will be the third NH Community Conversation virtual town hall. The first NHCC took place in May and tackled the re-opening of our restaurants. The second town hall focused on diversity in New Hampshire and how we can be more inclusive. The goal of these discussions is to offer a platform where honest conversations can take place in order to shine a spotlight on issues that matter.

The event is free. Register at: nh_conversation_children.eventbrite.com.

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About

New Hampshire Community Conversation is a live, virtual town hall series that presents a thoughtful exchange on important issues and explores ideas and viewpoints on how we move forward. Together. The series was created by Tiffany Eddy, a former broadcast journalist and Julie Alig, Ph.D. Tiffany is the founder and CEO of Smart Strong Sassy, a company that helps share real and honest stories because they have the power to make positive change! Dr. Julie Alig is a self-described data geek who is passionate about harnessing the power of data. Through her company, JLA Analytics, she uses statistics and data visualizations to help businesses and organizations answer questions, tell their unique story, and chart a clear path forward.

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Panelists

Joy Barrett is the Chief Executive Officer of the Granite State Children’s Alliance (GSCA), a non-profit organization that works to provide all victims of child abuse in New Hampshire a neutral environment where justice, healing, equity and prevention are fostered through the consistent, high-quality and sustaining collaboration of community partners. Joy is dedicated to improving the lives of children, breaking the cycle of child abuse, and improving the well-being of our most vulnerable children in New Hampshire.

Moira O’Neill Ph.D., RN, is the first Director of the NH Office of the Child Advocate. She was vetted by the Oversight Commission on Children’s Services and appointed by Governor Christopher Sununu in January 2018. A nurse by profession, Moira has worked across a variety of health care settings. After earning Master’s degrees in Nursing and Public Health at Yale University, Moira began her career with children at the Yale Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs. Her advocacy work at Yale led to 11 years of service with the Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate. During that time she returned to Yale to earn a PhD.

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