Maryland’s Department of Human Services Secretary Rafael López faced tough questioning Wednesday from lawmakers after a scathing audit revealed that children in state custody were placed in dangerous environments and housed alongside individuals convicted of serious crimes.

López admitted the findings were “unacceptable” and said his agency is moving quickly to fix what he called long-standing problems.

“It is unacceptable when individuals who act as our caregivers don’t have full background checks,” López told members of the Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee. “System defects should not be barriers to delivering the highest standards of service and excellence.”

The audit by the Office of Legislative Audits painted a disturbing picture of Maryland’s foster care system. It found that s

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