(WHDH) — As the search for a missing 7-year-old girl continues in New Hampshire, 7NEWS reached out to an expert to learn more about how cases like hers are handled.
Earlier in the week, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu blasted the Massachusetts judge who placed Harmony Montgomery in the care of her father. Not only was Adam Montgomery a convicted felon, but Sununu says the judge went ahead without waiting for a pending review of whether Montgomery was fit to father.
Massachusetts Department of Children and Families closed its case when Harmoney went to live with her dad in New Hampshire in February 2019.
However, records obtained from the Manchester Police Department show the Division for Children, Youth, and Families was contacted several times about Harmony that same year.
So, even if awarding Harmony’s father custody was a mistake, as Governor Sununu alleges, The question remains — How did Harmony seemingly fall through the cracks when her case was handed over to New Hampshire DCYF?
Social worker, Anna Carrigan previously tried to sue the Granite State over how it handles child abuse and neglect cases. She pointed to a 2020 report from the New Hampshire Office of the Child Advocate that found several shortcomings in how DCYF interacts with bordering state agencies.
Carrigan’s main issue was the lack of working relationships that DCYF workers had with their out-of-state counterparts. She said this creates a problematic breakdown in communication especially in a region like New England where there is a lot of movement across state lines.
The report also pointed to a lack of knowledge on how child protection laws and agency protocols differed from state to state. Carrigan said this creates roadblocks when kids were handed off from one agency to another.
A case that was highlighted in Carrigan’s report has several similarities to Harmony’s. The child moved from a neighboring state, was living with a parent in New Hampshire and there had been allegations of abuse. That child ultimately died of a head injury.
“I am confused as to why they’re acting like this is news to them when their child advocate already told them what needed to change about interstate communications in cases like this,” Carrigan told 7NEWS.
It is not clear whether the recommendations outlined in the 2020 report were ever implemented and since Harmony was last seen in late 2019, it is also not clear whether it would have done anything to prevent her disappearance.
“I cannot say that the department has yet taken specific action in response to our recommendation from the 2020 report with regard to being proactive in nurturing relationships across borders,” said New Hampshire child advocate Moira O’Neill. “Even if they had, the recommendation was made after Harmony was reportedly returned to New Hampshire.”
While Carrigan agrees that Governor Sununu should be angry, she said she also feels that ultimately the state’s safety net failed the little girl.
“Certainly when additional calls were made about what was happening with the child currently that’s a whole different ballgame and there’s no way you can blame Massachusetts for that,” she said.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)