Connecticut’s Child Advocate Sarah Eagan announced her resignation Thursday, after more than a decade in the position, and will take a position with the Center for Children’s Advocacy.
Eagan, who has been Connecticut’s child advocate since 2013, will leave the office in September. She has led the Office of the Child Advocate’s 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 Christina Ghio will serve as the acting child advocate until Gov. Ned Lamont appoints a new one.
“Sarah has been an extraordinary advocate on behalf of Connecticut’s children and her service to the state has been nothing but exceptional,” Lamont said in a statement. “During her tenure, she has always put the needs of children and their welfare first, and her advocacy has made a positive difference in establishing the appropriate policies and procedures to ensure that the rights of children and their best interests are always a top priority in Connecticut. I am grateful for the dedicated service Sarah has provided to Connecticut and I wish her nothing but the best in her next endeavors.”
Eagan will become the 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.
Eagan’s reappointment to the Child Advocate’s 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 for the Office of the Child Advocate proposed a bill that would have changed the nomination process for Eagan’s position. 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.
Eagan thanked staff at OCA, former Gov. Dannel P. 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.”
Eagan earned $148,539 annually in the role, according to online state data.
This story will be updated.