From: Alahverdian, Nicholas

Sent: Monday, February 17, 2020 7:23 PM

Subject: NEWS: RI House Members Introduce Bill to Create DCYF Commission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 17, 2020

Rep. Ray Hull, other House Members Introduce Bill to Create Emergency DCYF Oversight Commission

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — On Friday February 14, 2020, a House Resolution was proposed with an aim to
increase legislative oversight of the troubled Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families
(DCYF) by Representatives Raymond Hull, (D-North Providence), John Lombardi (D-Providence), David
Bennett (D-Warwick), and James McLaughlin (D-Cumberland). The legislation was introduced at the
initiative of longtime DCYF reform advocate Nicholas Alahverdian.

If passed, the resolution will create an ad hoc nine-member legislative commission that would have the
power, right, and privilege to investigate the Department, which has been plagued with problems for
the past three decades. The commission will investigate past and present systemic DCYF abuse,
negligence, and failures, which have skyrocketed under the Raimondo administration. Under her tenure,
DCYF was led by the statutorily unqualified Jamia McDonald (state law requires the DCYF Director to
have a masters degree in social work, a credential McDonald did not hold) and Trista Piccola, who
resigned amidst calls from Reps. Charlene Lima (D-Cranston) and Patricia Serpa (D-Warwick) following
the death of Zha-Nae Rothgeb as well as 32 fatalities or near-fatalities of children in DCYF care. For
comparison, during the Chafee, Carcieri, and Almond administrations, there was one child fatality.
Additionally, the federal government has indicated that DCYF has failed to achieve minimal standards in
33 of 36 areas assessed.

Nicholas Alahverdian has been at the forefront of DCYF reform for nearly two decades. He was recently
diagnosed with late-stage non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Alahverdian served as a page and a legislative aide
in the Rhode Island General Assembly from 2002-2003 and was simultaneously in the care of the DCYF
due to his abusive parents. He was able to provide insight into the abusive and negligent practices such
as the night-to-night program and the lack of adequate facilities of the Department to senators and
representatives. Alahverdian subsequently took a leave of absence as a General Assembly employee to
become a lobbyist to further his advocacy. Deemed a publicity threat as a result of his advocacy, he was
then sent by DCYF to two out of state placements in Nebraska and Florida where he was raped, beaten,
and allowed no contact with the outside world until his 18th birthday. He later attended Harvard
University and had a career as a lobbyist and government relations consultant.

In 2011, Alahverdian began a lengthy legal and political battle against DCYF, filing legislation in
conjunction with Reps. Bob DaSilva, Ray Hull, Arthur Handy, and Michael Marcello to reform DCYF, end
out of state placements, and create a DCYF oversight committee, three bills which were supported by
the majority of the members of the House of Representatives but failed to get out of committee. In
federal court, he also sued the DCYF as well as the group homes where the abuse occurred. The case
was ultimately settled in 2013.

Regarding the bill, Alahverdian said “The policy of this bill is safety of children at every cost. The aim of
this bill is adequate education and housing for children in the care of the state. People may ask at what
cost. We say at any cost, for the life of a child in a system with a $600+ million budget deserves at the
very least, food, schooling, and stable shelter, and if possible, a family life. We must never give up, and I
certainly won’t.”

The bill can be found here: http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText20/HouseText20/H7639.pdf

Nicholas Alahverdian can be contacted at 401-472-4955

Rep. Ray Hull can be contacted at 401-573-0602

__________
Nicholas Alahverdian
https://www.nicholasalahverdian.com
From: Office of Nicholas Alahverdian
Sent: Monday, March 2, 2020 7:23 PM
Subject: Alahverdian obituary

On behalf of the Alahverdian family:

3 March 2020

The author and child welfare reform advocate Nicholas Alahverdian, age
32, died on Saturday, the 29th day of February 2020, losing his battle with
non Hodgkin Lymphoma diagnosed last year following complications with
pneumonia.
Alahverdian lived a warrior’s life. A fighter in spirit but a peacemaker in
practice, Alahverdian survived life in Rhode Island’s foster care system the
Department of Children, Youth and Families. He overcame significant
abuse, deprivation of education, and harmful living conditions. Amazingly
he simultaneously worked for the Rhode Island General Assembly as a
page and then as a legislative aide. Alahverdian was able to give
lawmakers an eyewitness account of what is was like to grow up in such
dangerous state-funded conditions. His fight for DCYF reform was covered
by the Providence news media for two decades — and only now are more
stories coming to the surface as a result of Alahverdian’s advocacy and
efforts.

As a result of his acumen for drawing legislative attention to important

issues Alahverdian suffered the ire of DCYF and Family Court leaders,
where he was sent to Florida and Nebraska and tortured in ways that truly
shock the human conscience. Both placements were later shuttered and
Alahverdian sued his abusers and the state officials responsible for his
abuse.

Bursting past further barriers, Alahverdian attended Harvard University.

He loved life there — mingling with the intelligencia, learning from the
best professors in the world, and furthering his life’s work of being the best
person he could be in what he saw as an insane yet fixable world.
He spent two decades attempting to spark reform of the RI DCYF. In honor
of Alahverdian, State Representative Ray Hull along with Rep. Lombardi,
Rep. Bennett, and Rep. McLoughlin introduced a bill to create a House of
Representatives Oversight Commission on DCYF. The bill is pending in the
House, just as it has been every year for the past 15 years. His strength and
confidence preceded him, and he poured his spirit and energy into the
democratic process in which he so strongly believed.

Alahverdian loved sailing, ornithology, painting, and was a voracious

reader.

Alahverdian leaves a wife and two children.

Condolences to the family can be sent to info@nicholasalahverdian.com

__________
Office of Nicholas Alahverdian
https://www.nicholasalahverdian.com
From: Alahverdian Family Office
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2020 6:01 AM
Subject: Death of Nicholas Alahverdian

Dear friends, colleagues, and associates of Nicholas Alahverdian:

Many of you may know by now and perhaps some of you do not. Nicholas Alahverdian passed away on
February 29, 2020 at the age of 32 as a result of non Hodgkin Lymphoma complicated by pneumonia.
You are receiving this email because you were either a friend, colleague, professor, or associate of
Nicholas. His obituary can be viewed at nicholasalahverdian.com and everloved.com

It is with deep sadness and grief that we make this announcement on behalf of his wife and two
children, as well as his uncles Michael and Edward Alahverdian.

Read: Associated Press news report on Mr. Alahverdian's death

The primary purpose of this email is to discuss memorial preparations (which will be delayed due to
COVID-19), and to kindly request that you leave a message of condolence for the family:
https://everloved.com/life-of/nicholas-alahverdian/obituary/ These messages, memories, stories, and
thoughts of love have been a strength to Nicholas' widow at this incredibly difficult time, and we kindly
ask that you take a few moments to share a few words.

A printed obituary in The Providence Journal and The Boston Globe are hopefully forthcoming. He was
honored by the Rhode Island House of Representatives and the Speaker of the House last week with a
formal resolution expressing condolences.

Some of you knew Nicholas briefly. Others may have known him for years. Regardless of the length of
time, he knew you enough to ask that you be included in this list because he was grateful for your
friendship, professional mentorship, or other relationship.

Without a doubt it can be said that he lived a full life and did his best to improve the foster care system
in Rhode Island and beyond. He endured torture in Nebraska and Florida, where he was exiled by the
Rhode Island Families Court, after exposing the abuse in Rhode Island shelters and group homes as a 15
year old government employee.

His accounts of the abuse led multiple group homes and treatment facilities to be closed and calls for
reform to be made, and these were chronicled by national and local media for some twenty years. He
was a man with flaws but ultimately he wanted to see an improved system of care in Rhode Island and
beyond.

As the RI House of Representatives resolution noted, Mr. Alahverdian was a "fighter in spirit but a
peacemaker in practice."

He tried to accomplish an overhaul of the system as recent as two weeks before his death, giving
interviews and working with numerous members of the Rhode Island General Assembly to introduce
legislation that would create an oversight committee on the Rhode Island Department of Children Youth
and Families.
He accomplished his lifelong dream of being admitted to and attending Harvard University where he
made lifelong friends and unbreakable bonds. The intellectual environment and the profoundly
accepting people made him the happiest he ever was in his life besides becoming a husband and father.
At Harvard, Nicholas had beloved friends, cherished mentors, and marvelous experiences.

Later, when Nicholas did become a husband and father, he was soon able to leave his government
relations and blockchain consulting jobs to be a full time husband and dad which was something he
loved. This ultimately lucky decision allowed him to spend time with his family before the cancer
diagnosis and treatment that would have otherwise been spent at work. He adored his wife and
children, and words cannot express the deep void they feel now that he is gone.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak we are delaying any type of memorial service. Mr. Alahverdian's
remains were cremated and scattered at sea. However there has been interest expressed from several
people who would like to remember Nicholas at a formal memorial service. You will receive an email
when a final date, place, and time have been set.

In lieu of flowers, the Alahverdian family are requesting that a foster child care package or donation be
made to Foster Forward in the name of Nicholas Alahverdian. More information can be found at
https://www.fosterforward.net/resources/storefront/ about what to donate to Foster Forward if money
is not an option, but if you can make a donation please do so at fosterforward.net

Also it is a 501c3 organization and therefore tax deductible.

If money is not an option, a new or gently used teddy bear or blanket can make all the difference, and
Foster Forward does great work in distributing these items and lobbying for changes to the system of
care. Nicholas admired the organization and the work of Lisa Guillette and her team.

The Alahverdian family appreciate your friendship or acquaintanceship with Nicholas over the years, and
whether it was long or short, you had an impact on his life for good.

As Nicholas himself said to a CBS affiliate reporter about the new legislation for an oversight committee
on DCYF exactly one month ago today, "The policy of this bill is the safety of children at every cost. The
aim of this bill is adequate education and housing for children in the care of the state. People may ask at
what cost. We say at any cost, for the life of a child in a system with a $220 million budget deserves at
the very least, food, schooling and stable shelter, and if possible, a family life. We must never give up,
and I certainly won’t."

Nicholas never gave up fighting for improvement of Rhode Island's inefficient DCYF. And neither should
we.