DCYF

The lawsuit alleges systemic failures by New Hampshire's child protection system.

The state says Jeff Fleischer is resigning to “pursue other interests” and be closer to family. He took over the agency last August.

The Unity House will provide a safe and supportive living environment for up to eight youths, ages 12 to 19, who identify as LGBTQ+ and are in the custody of the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families.

A new bill would require the state to limit those placements to New England as of January 2025.

Child advocates: Damning report on Tennessee youth facility is one worry of many

The Office of the Child Advocate also mentions issues with official oversight of those facilities.

Jeff Fleischer, the former head of a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit that provides community alternatives to incarceration and out-of-home placements, will lead the division as the state looks to replace its troubled youth detention center.

Kristy Gesse filed her lawsuit in Merrimack County Superior Court in January under the pseudonym Jane Doe #73. She has decided now to be named.

The state hired Joe Ribsam in 2017 to help rebuild New Hampshire’s Division of Children, Youth and Families following deep budget cuts and other challenges.

Twenty-nine children under age 17 died between October 2021 and November 2022, according to the report.