Gov. Ralph Northam has appointed an attorney to serve as Virginia's first director of a recently created child-advocacy agency.
Eric Reynolds will assume the role of director of the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman later this month, Northam's office announced Thursday.
The ombudsman's office was established last year to serve as a mechanism for reporting concerns about the treatment of children in Virginia’s foster care system.
According to a biography provided by Northam's office, Reynolds has worked as an attorney for a number of state agencies, including serving as legal counsel for the Department of Social Services and the Office of Children’s Services. He has also represented both parents and children in child welfare and family law cases.
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“I am honored to serve in this inaugural role,” Reynolds said in a statement. “I was drawn to this position because I know how much of an impact it can make.”
In 2018, the state’s legislative watchdog agency recommended creating an ombudsman's office to help fix problems in the foster care system, according to the Roanoke Times.
