The problems with LA County's child welfare agency Ten-year-old Anthony Avalos died in Lancaster last week. He suffered head injuries and was covered in cigarette burns. For years, his home was flagged for potential abuse. Sheriff’s deputies and the Department of Children and Family Services had visited the home, but allowed the boy to stay there.

The Bay Boys of Palos Verdes The California Coastal Commission is attempting to crack down on a group of Palos Verdes surfers who call themselves the Bay Boys. Other surfers who brave the waves they control report being assaulted in the water, having stones and dirt thrown at them, and having their tires slashed. Local law enforcement has been unable or unwilling to do anything about it, until now.

Are LA Social Workers 'Set Up for Failure?' LA County's Department of Children and Family Services receives 160,000 child-abuse hotline calls every year. In February, a scathing report commissioned by the Board of Supervisors blamed bureaucrats and social workers for leaving children in unsafe homes. In July, new management moved swiftly to fire four child welfare workers  in the case of an 8-year-old Palmdale boy allegedly tortured to death by his mother and her boyfriend. Later that month, yet another panel was created to investigate and recommend "sweeping reforms." This week, the union of 55,000 workers sued the County , claiming that an arbitrator's ruling to reduce worker caseloads is being ignored.

LA County Blue Ribbon Commission to Reform Child Welfare Angency LA County is trying to fire four social workers after the recent death of an 8-year-old boy—allegedly tortured by his mother and her boyfriend.  Earlier this year, a scathing report on the lack of protection for thousands of abused children led to reforms now underway at the Department of Child and Family Services.  But the record of failure is so aggravated and so long that the Board of Supervisors has appointed a blue-ribbon task force to see if more can be done.  It’s first meeting will be tomorrow.

The Right to Speak to Elected Officials Last month, it was Zev Yaroslavsky's turn to chair the meetings of LA County's Board of Supervisors. He set off a firestorm by proposing to reduce the available time set aside for public comment. Reaction was fierce. But Board members complain that so-called "gadflies" often dominate meetings. What about people who want to bring up real issues?

More Upheaval at LA's Department of Children and Family Services There's more trouble for Los Angeles County over the deaths of children from abuse and neglect, while they're under supervision by the Department of Children and Family Services . For the third time in nine months, a director of has resigned, as the County is defying a state subpoena for departmental records.

Latest Crisis at Department of Children and Family Services The Los Angeles Times reports that Trish Ploehn, LA County’s Director of Children and Family Services , is likely to lose her job, probably to be reassigned. This comes after months of horror stories, including some involving children who’ve suffered abuse and even died while under the radar of Ploehn’s department.

Child Welfare Records: The Latest LA Confidential Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said yesterday, " The obsession with leaks … exceeds the obsession with child deaths."  He was the lone dissenter in a 4-to-1 vote to investigate what was called the "inappropriate disclosure of confidential child welfare information."  At issue is a series in the LA Times on the deaths of children in families that are supposed to be under the scrutiny of the County's child welfare officials.  Dissenter Zev Yaroslavsky said after the vote, "all the energy that is spent on that is energy that is not spent on trying to figure out what's going wrong in the Department of Children and Family Services." We hear from a Times reporter , Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who voted for the investigation, and an advocate of open government.