DCYF Director: 'We Want Answers' On How System Failed Young Girl

Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families Director Trista Piccola addressed on Wednesday, Jan. 16, the death of 9-year-old Zah-Nae Rothgeb, who was found dead in her adoptive mother's squalid Warwick home on Jan. 3. Michele Rothgeb, 55, is facing charges of cruelty to or neglect of a child.

"On Jan. 3, a little girl died," Piccola said to the press, holding back tears. "This is a tragedy that weighs heavily on all of us. We want what everyone wants. We want answers."

The home was filled with garbage and smelled strongly of urine. Zah-Nae's room had two beds: one soiled with feces and urine, and the other with a net around it, covered in what police believed to be animal feces. There was a pile of dirty diapers in the room, police said.

When Zah-Nae died, she was one of eight children living under Rothgeb's care. Six of the eight kids have disabilities which require individual care. Zah-Nae had cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder which hinders motor control.

Rothgeb said that she had the flu, and therefore had one of the kids, a 15-year-old boy with Asperger's syndrome, look after the rest. Reports suggest he tried hard to take care of his siblings and generally did a good job, but Rothgeb's alleged neglect was too much.

See the full story here: Handicapped 9-Year-Old Dies In Filthy Home, Mother Jailed

Piccola said her department is working to find the flaws in the system that allowed these children to live in such horrid conditions. "We want to understand how [Zah-Nae] and her seven brothers and sisters came to be in this situation," she said.

The other kids have been placed with other families.

Many of the reporters' questions were answered by Piccola referring to the deep investigation the department is taking on.

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It turns out Rothgeb has had problems with DCYF before. In January 2018, she was under investigation for inadequate supervision, with the teen boy looking after the rest back then as well. Following the investigation, Piccola said, "conditions were acceptable at the time."

At that time, the DCYF employees assessing the suitability of Rothgeb's home was not allowed access to the second floor of the home. "I don't want to speculate on why they didn't [see the second floor], but normal practice is to see the entirety of the home," Piccola said. That is part of the investigation.

Then, in July 2018, Rothgeb was able to complete the adoption of another child, making it eight in total. One reporter asked Piccola why she was allowed to adopt another child. "That's a fair question," she said, "and part of the review. She said she found it unusual that one person would have eight adopted children in the DCYF system and suggested the policy may fall short.

Once the adoption is complete, Piccola said, DCYF does not follow up with the family.

Piccola said they've already taken some action. One person has been put on administrative leave and three others have been given restricted responsibilities, she said. She wouldn't answer questions on those people, as the investigation is still underway.

They're also making it more difficult for adoptive families to have many kids. Any more than five kids in one home will have to be approved by Piccola or another high-ranking DCYF official, she said.

Regardless of this tragedy, Piccola was sure to express her high esteem for the department as a whole. "I do not believe what happened in this case is representative of the work of our staff and our department as a whole," she said, adding that it also doesn't represent how their adoptive families take care of children overall.

"We'll get through this, but I don't want this to have happened in vain. What happened in those six months that we were no longer watching this family?" she asked, hoping the investigation will yield the answers.

Photo credit: Warwick Police Department