Mayor Bloomberg (R-NY) announced a series of changes Tuesday to strengthen the city's response to child abuse or neglect. The reform follows a review into the death of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, whose parents were charged with her death. One change will focus on improving coordination between agencies, including the city's Administration for Children?s Services (ACS). Caseworkers for ACS had been investigating allegations of abuse at Brown?s home since December. Bloomberg says the city will invest more than $16 million for the initiatives. He also plans to investigate the role of schools in reporting extended student absences as educational neglect.

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