Roche Will Stay At DCF For 'A Period Of Time,' Patrick Says

While she resigned Tuesday as commissioner of the Department of Children and Families, Olga Roche will remain on the staff of the agency for “a period of time,” according to Gov. Deval Patrick.

Speaking to reporters after he presided over a Governor’s Council meeting, Patrick said Roche would eventually leave the agency and said he doubted that she would stay at the department until his term ends in early 2015.

For weeks after lawmakers first began calling for her resignation, Patrick stood by Roche in the face of critics who cited agency mismanagement as a factor contributing to the death of 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver.

Patrick on Wednesday again praised Roche’s experience in the child welfare field and her contributions to the agency, saying “I don’t want her to leave right away.”

Patrick said he did not know what Roche’s salary would be in her new capacity at DCF.

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