Summary Box: Highlights of Haleigh Poutre case

THE VICTIM: Haleigh Poutre was hospitalized on Sept. 11, 2005, with a damaged brain stem that authorities say resulted from blows inflicted by her adoptive mother and stepfather, who were charged with assault. Doctors said Haleigh, who is now 12, was in a permanent vegetative state. But after the state's Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the Department of Social Services could remove Haleigh from life support, the girl began showing signs of improvement.

THE PANEL: Gov. Mitt Romney appointed a three-member panel in January to review Haleigh's case after DSS officials said they properly handled the girl's case.

THE FINDINGS: The panel delivered a list of 15 recommendations the governor said his administration would implement. Among them: requiring DSS to obtain a second opinion and consult ethics panels when considering removing a child from life support; establishing a system to identify high-risk cases; urging the Legislature to extend the period for investigating abuse reports from 10 to 20 days; making sure pediatric hospitals have child abuse teams on staff.