Concord, NH — May 26, 2026 — On Saturday, June 20th at 12:00 PM, New Hampshire Family Justice (NHFJ) will hold our 2nd Annual Rally for Families on the lawn of the New Hampshire State Capitol in Concord.
This is more than just another rally. It’s a day for New Hampshire families to come together, stand tall, and say enough is enough. We want to celebrate the strength and resilience of our families while shining a bright light on the serious problems plaguing our child welfare system and family courts.
“The people of this state deserve systems that actually protect children and support parents — not ones that treat kids like commodities, hurt children, and trample on due process,” said Donald Gilbert, Executive Director of New Hampshire Family Justice.
Most Granite Staters have seen the public records, failed audits, lawsuits, and heartbreaking stories of mismanagement and downright abuse committed or ignored by employees of the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and the Sununu Youth Services Center (SYSC or YDC).
Not as obvious are the roles that more behind-the-scenes entities play such as the family court, and non-governmental contractors with the courts and department of health and human services. The competing interests of these stakeholders drives systemic harm being committed every year in New Hampshire against private citizens, particularly children.
Nepotism, fraud, abuse, conflicts of interest, negligence, and lack of accountability continue to hurt far too many families. Meanwhile legislators pretend to investigate and and offer bandaid solutions like more training and more funding— on repeat, year after year.
The wave of harm continues to swell and the state appears to prefer paying settlements with taxpayer money than overhaul the broken system.
The Rally for Families is an opportunity to set the record straight.
We’re honored to have Ryan Ralston, Director of Operations of the national nonprofit You Are The Power (YATP), as our keynote speaker.
Ryan has spent over a decade as a grassroots advocate for civil rights and criminal justice reform in Georgia and now applies that experience in his role as operations director.
You Are The Power, founded by 2020 VP Candidate Spike Cohen, supports people to resist government overreach through community engagement and citizen empowerment. Their work is grounded in the Principle of Human Respect.
We are also proud to announce that Church of Another Chance New Hampshire (CACNH) will be attending and presenting at this year’s event. As a unique ministry in New Hampshire dedicated to providing transformational support, healing, and advocacy for incarcerated, formerly incarcerated individuals and their families, as well as those whom just can’t seem to get out of their own way in life.
CACNH works on the front lines to repair the family bonds fractured by the justice system. Their presentation will focus on the deep intersections of institutional trauma, grief, and the critical need for community-driven restoration.
The Rally for Families is for every parent, grandparent, survivor, and concerned citizen who believes the Priniciple of Human Respect is lacking in the systems in place to help children and families. It’s for anyone who believes these systems are fundamentally broken and in need of a complete overhaul.
We’re calling for real transparency, accountability, and basic human respect from DCYF, Family Court, YDC, and every state agency and contractor that interfaces with children and families in New Hampshire.
“This rally isn’t just about protesting,” added Leah Cushman, Chairman of New Hampshire Family Justice. “It’s about refusing to stay silent while our families are torn apart. We’re coming together to demand real change and remind our leaders that New Hampshire families are never going to give up until there is real accountability, oversight, and reform.”
On June 20th, we’re giving survivors, parents, and whistleblowers a place to be heard.
And we’re giving families a place to have fun, take a breath, and find connection. It will be a family-friendly afternoon with:
- A sign-making station
- Music
- Lawn games and activities for the kids
- Crafts and creative spots
- Snacks and refreshments
- Opportunities to share your story
Whether you’ve been personally affected or you simply believe that the state should approach family law issues in a way that is respectful of human dignity, comporting with the constitution and law, and with proper oversight and accountability, we hope to see you there.
Saturday, June 20th, 2026 – 12:00 PM
New Hampshire State House Lawn, Concord
All are welcome. For more information and updates, visit www.nhfamilyjustice.org.
