The Attorney General's Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect was created in 1989, to improve the system wide response to child maltreatment in New Hampshire. The Task Force is comprised of professionals from throughout the state, representing the many disciplines involved in the field of child maltreatment, including medical, mental health, judicial, prosecution, defense, law enforcement, victim advocacy, forensic science, and child protection communities.

The Task Force goals are designed to foster the development of the multidisciplinary model for investigating and prosecuting child abuse and neglect cases; offer advanced training to professionals statewide and; support systems reforms through ongoing evaluations of the administrative, judicial and investigative handling of child maltreatment cases in the state.

Projects include developing multidisciplinary protocols on the identification, investigation, prosecution and treatment of child abuse and neglect, including a comprehensive Medical Protocol, sponsoring day long discipline specific trainings and organizing an Annual Child Abuse and Neglect Conference for approximately 450 professionals. The Task Force was responsible for sponsoring and distributing videotape for sexually abused children, designed to alleviate their fears when going through the medical exam. Two booklets were developed and distributed statewide, one for teenagers and one for young children, designed to provide them with information and support while going through the New Hampshire criminal justice system.

The Task Force is currently working with the Governor's Commission on Child Protection on a Statewide Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Project, whose goal it is to set up model CACs in each county in a further effort to standardize the handling of child abuse and neglect cases, limit the number of interviews and minimize the trauma to the child victim. The Child Advocacy Center of Rockingham County, which was created in 2000, is being used as a model for the state. Teams are being set up in each county and in collaboration with the National Children's Alliance, the Office is coordinating program development and training for the members.