DAVE RESS Richmond Times-Dispatch

Virginia’s top child welfare official says it was the kind of call he shouldn’t be getting.

“These were two preemie babies that were born cocaine positive. The mother was cocaine positive, was actively homicidal, suicidal …” said Carl Ayers, deputy commissioner for the Virginia Department of Social Services .

He spoke shortly before this week’s release of a report of the deaths of 49 children whose families had already come to the attention of social workers because of allegations of abuse and neglect.

“There had been three calls from the hospital to the local department, who refused to go out and validate this complaint and go check on the children, because it said they were not showing symptoms from being withdrawn from the cocaine or that they wer

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