About Us

The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is an independent and autonomous Rhode Island state agency responsible for protecting the legal rights and interests of children in state care.  These rights include, but are not limited to, a child’s right to appropriate placement, healthcare and education, and to be treated with dignity and respect.  The OCA has access to all records and files of children in state care.  It may speak privately with any child in the custody or care of the state; issue subpoenas to obtain necessary information and documents and to compel attendance and testimony of witnesses; initiate lawsuits on behalf of children in state care; inspect, monitor and review foster homes, group homes, shelters, residential care centers and the Rhode Island Training School; review and monitor Child Protective Service investigations of institutional abuse and neglect; recommend legislation, rules and regulations; provide training and technical assistance to guardians ad litem and court appointed special advocates; convene child fatality panels to conduct reviews and issue public reports which make recommendations for reforms in the child welfare system.

The Child Advocate

Kelly Monteiro, Esq. Assistant Child Advocate.  Ms. Monteiro joined the OCA staff in June 2006 as the Staff Attorney and Case Manager of the child victim compensation cases. Now as the Assistant Child Advocate she serves on various committees and task forces at the request of the Child Advocate. She handles many of the day to day duties of the OCA.  She is a graduate of Howard University Law School.  She represents children who are voluntarily placed with DCYF in Family Court and assists and supervises the court duties of the OCA.  While as a staff attorney at Rhode Island Legal Services, Attorney Monteiro worked in the Family Preservation Project handling abuse, neglect and dependency petitions.  As former assistant public defender in the Appellate Division of the Rhode Island Office of Public Defender, Attorney Monteiro handled criminal and DCYF appeals. 

Megan N. Clingham, Esq. Staff Attorney, joined the Office of the Child Advocate in August, 2009 as Staff Attorney and Project Manager of the Crime Victim’s Compensation Program. In addition to managing the CVC program, her responsibilities include the representation of children placed voluntarily with DCYF and assisting in other projects at the direction of the Child Advocate. Ms. Clingham came to the Office of the Child Advocate with an established track record of representing underserved populations with special needs, ranging from persons with disabilities to children and adults involved in the criminal justice and state care system. Ms. Clingham was a trial lawyer with the Office of the Public Defender for 15 years, representing indigent clients in Family, District and Superior Courts. Just prior to her joining the Office of the Child Advocate in August 2009, Ms. Clingham was employed as Legal Counsel to the Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals for two years. She is a graduate of Rhode Island College and Catholic University School of Law.

Kathryn Cortes is the Chief Field Investigator. A graduate of Salve Regina University, Ms. Cortes has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. She is responsible for investigating allegations of abuse and neglect for children in DCYF custody. Ms. Cortes assists in the investigation of institutional abuse complaints and assists in the preliminary investigations of child fatalities. She also participates in permanency planning for children voluntarily placed in state care. She is a former program director of a residential drug treatment program at the Rhode Island Training School. In addition, she has extensive experience working in a residential group home facility.

Marianna Almeida is the Administrative Assistant/Office Manager.  A graduate of Community College of Rhode Island with an Associate Science Degree with concentration in Legal Secretarial Program, Ms. Almeida came to the OCA in January 2004, with over 26 years of administrative and paralegal experience.  Ms. Almeida has worked around children for most of her career.  Formerly with the Lincoln School Department, Ms. Almeida is active in her community working with youth in various athletic activities.

The Office of the Child Advocate

Office of the Child Advocate
John O Pastore Center
57 Howard Avenue, 4th flr.
Cranston, RI 02920