The Association to Benefit Children, a child-advocacy group, sued the city to force child-welfare officials to get these infants into homes more quickly.

But Ms. Gupta, the child-welfare official, said local politicians were deeply involved in the scheme, and would frustrate all efforts to stop it.

After the doctors at Schneider reported the case to child-welfare officials, Aaron was placed in foster care pending a formal hearing later this month.

However, the family had not come to the notice of child-welfare officials.

Tiesha is now in the custody of child-welfare officials.

The city's top child-welfare official called the report unfair.

School and child-welfare officials are trying to determine how she fell through the cracks.

Justina was not well known to child-welfare officials, but she deserved more attention than she got.

Earlier in November 1995, a relative complained to child-welfare officials that Justina had not been attending school.

But Mr. Blatner, the former child-welfare official, said private management would improve care for children.