A year later, after an anonymous complaint, child-welfare workers found the girl unkempt, withdrawn and psychologically disturbed in a filthy apartment.

New York State requires that child-welfare workers each month visit foster children who have been placed with relatives.

The girl had repeatedly come to the attention of child-welfare workers.

The girl had repeatedly come to the attention of child-welfare workers, but they missed the warning signs.

The police officers and the child-welfare workers descended the stairs to discuss their next step.

She said she would order child-welfare workers to take the woman's baby when it is born.

The others are already with family members, who have all been extensively screened by child-welfare workers.

They were also asking whether the city's child-welfare workers should have done more to protect Daniel.

The average statewide caseload has exceeded 40 active cases assigned to child-welfare workers in every year since 1991 except one.

They say child-welfare workers do not know how to direct the services to families at risk of abusing their children and losing them to foster care.