New Hampshire's state Senate has approved several bills that bolster the Division of Children, Youth and Families, including support services for at-risk families and reducing caseload burdens.
The bills would approve $5.5 million to support residential beds for mental health treatment, additional staff at the division, and expand resources for the foster care system and the developmentally disabled.
The division has been under scrutiny since two toddlers under its supervision were killed in 2014 and 2015. The deaths spurred an independent review of the agency, which concluded that it often fails to help children who are at risk of being harmed.
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said Wednesday the Senate "has provided a critically important initial step toward putting additional vital resources" in the division.
