A judge in Nashua has found the mother of three-year-old Brielle Gage guilty of second-degree murder.
Brielle Gage died of blunt-force injuries in 2014 shortly after the state placed the child in the care of her mother, who was facing child abuse charges at the time. Gage's death has become a rallying point for those seeking to reform the state's troubled foster care system.
Since Gage's death, the Division of Children, Youth and Families has been undergoing a series of lengthy reviews. DCYF faces increased caseloads while staff turnover has remained high.
A state commission recently approved a plan, estimated at $1.8 million, aimed at providing 24/7 responses to child abuse complaints. But that measure is seen as only a short-term solution that won't match the state's growing demand for child protective services.
