Child Advocate Sarah Eagan resigns

Connecticut Child Advocate Sarah Eagan announced her resignation Thursday after more than a decade in the position and leadership on calls for transparency within the child welfare system and advocacy for kids’ mental health resources.

Eagan, who has been Connecticut’s child advocate since 2013, will leave the position in September. She has led the Office of the Child Advocate through investigations into the state’s handling of cases involving children, including high-profile child fatality investigations , the use of restraint and seclusion, treatment of foster children, the state’s mental health care system for kids and services for children with disabilities.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to lead this critical government agency, further transparency and accountability for publicly funded services for children, and advocate on behalf of the state’s children and families,” Eagan said in a written statement.

The office serves as a check on agencies such as the Department of Children and Families that handle the care of vulnerable children in Connecticut.

Associate Child Advocate Christinia Ghio will serve as the acting child advocate until Gov. Ned Lamont appoints a new one. Eagan will next move to a position as executive director of the Center for Children’s Advocacy, a nonprofit law firm that advocates for the legal rights of children, Eagan said in her statement.

Lamont’s office released a statement about Eagan’s decision to step down, praising her as an extraordinary advocate.

“During her tenure, she has always put the needs of children and their welfare first,” he said, wishing her the best in her future work.

Lamont’s office also noted that the committee that oversees the Office of the Child Advocate will “soon begin the process” of nominating Eagan’s successor, though a specific timeline was not provided.

Eagan earned $148,539 annually in the role, according to online state data.

Eagan’s reappointment to the office was coming up early next year, so she had been looking for new opportunities, she said in an interview with The Connecticut Mirror.

In the last legislative session, the advisory committee of the Office of the Child Advocate proposed a bill that would have changed the nomination process for Eagan’s role. As it stands, the advisory committee comes up with a list of candidates, which goes to the governor’s office for appointment. The appointment is then approved by the legislature.

Senate Bill 437 would have had the advisory committee appoint the child advocate, removing much of the power in the process from the governor’s office. The bill didn’t pass.

Asked about the bill, former child advocate and current member of the office’s advisory board Jeanne Milstein said continued independent oversight is key to the office’s function.

“What I can speak to is how important it is to have the OCA’s role as an independent oversight entity,” Milstein said. “It has been and continues to be independent.”

In her new role, Eagan will replace executive director Martha Stone, who will move into a role as a founder and special counsel to the Center for Children’s Advocacy.

In her statement, Eagan thanked staff at OCA and Gov. Dannel Malloy and Lamont for her appointments to the position. She also said she was thankful for the people who have reached out to the office over the years.

“We also could not do the work that we do without families reaching out to us,” Eagan said in an interview. “Sometimes kids, sometimes professionals who want to say something about the system that they’re working in are nervous, but reach out to us anyway.”

DCF Commissioner Jodi Hill-Lilly said in a statement that the department remains committed to working with the child advocate’s office.

“We appreciate Sarah Eagan’s tireless efforts on behalf of all Connecticut’s children and families,” Hill-Lilly said. “Sarah’s passion for the work was readily apparent as our communities faced evolving challenges and priorities impacting the safety and wellbeing of children.”

Committee on Children co-chair Sen. Ceci Maher, D-Wilton, thanked Eagan for her work in a statement Thursday.

“Her admirable efforts and steadfast advocacy on issues impacting children across the state have played an important role in policy development and lawmaking,” Maher wrote. “Sarah truly is an Advocate for children and their wellbeing.”

Milstein said she hopes the office will continue to have dynamic leadership. She said the board will meet to discuss next steps in selecting a list  of candidates to send to Lamont.

“My hope for the future is that we continue to have a dynamic leader and team that continue to execute the responsibilities in a robust manner, related to publicly funded systems responsible to serve children and offering well-researched recommendations for systemic improvement and reform,” Milstein said.

Eagan said the Office of the Child Advocate has seen good support from both Democrats and Republicans in the legislature.

“My hope and expectation is that it continues, that the office continues to have the staff support and resources that it needs to do a really mammoth task in trying to push transparency and accountability for all of these systems — education, child welfare, juvenile justice, disability services,” she said.