Children die as bureaucracy stalls in LA County

"For at least 18 years, Los Angeles County has repeatedly received urgent and sometimes gruesome reminders that its agencies don't share vital information about potentially abused or neglected children, according to a Times investigation. There have been numerous calls for reform—but little action. In the passing years, an unknown number of children have been harmed or killed." Earlier, the Times reported that 14 out of 32 deaths by abuse and neglect in 2008 were linked to homes "well-known" to welfare officials.