A bipartisan pair of Monroe County Legislators has come together behind a bill inspired by the death of three-year-old Brook Stagles.
The Brook Stagles Child Protective Services Reform Act is co-sponsored by Democrat Justin Wilcox of Brighton and Republican Tony Micciche of Rochester. The intent is to review the caseloads of Child Protective Services workers and set them at appropriate levels.
Brook Stagles died after a beating that left her with internal injuries. Her father’s girlfriend is on trial for murder, and the verdict is expected tomorrow. There was an open case with Child Protective Services, but her family maintains some workers are handling up to 60 cases at a time and that understaffing kept the little girl’s situation from being uncovered until it was too late. State standards call for no more than 15 cases per worker at a time.
Micciche says he’s seen too many tragedies to stand by and wait for progress. He says the legislature should do something about the situation now. Wilcox says they’ll work with the county administration to increase staffing while keeping costs in line.