children

Missing children: NH doesn’t track pre-school kids; community has a role to play in protecting the vulnerable

Missing children: NH doesn’t track pre-school kids; community has a role to play in protecting the vulnerable

With a search for 7-year-old Harmony Montgomery ongoing for weeks now, the question still being asked, but for which the answer remains elusive, is how does a child go missing for more than two years and neither police nor child protection services know about it?

“The more provocative question would be who noticed the child when she wasn’t missing,” said Moira O’Neill, Director of the New Hampshire Office of the Child Advocate, which has oversight for the state Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). She is not seeking reappointment to her post which expires on Jan. 31, 2022.

Families Delay Pregnancy During Pandemic

Families Delay Pregnancy During Pandemic

Even before the coronavirus, the Martiellos were considering only having one kid. But the pandemic solidified that choice. Luna, nearly 3, will be their only child; Christopher had a vasectomy this summer.

“In the midst of the chaos of the world, we realized that our small triangle family was perfect for us,” said Martiello, 31. “The three of us could weather the storm together, and we didn't need, or want, another child.”