Editorial: Saving vulnerable kids: Time for soul searching

Editorial: Saving vulnerable kids: Time for soul searching

Alack of resources alone cannot explain Sacramento Child Protective Service's dismal record in protecting the county's most vulnerable children. Since 3-year-old Adrian Conway was beaten, burned and starved to death by his mother in 1996, spending on CPS in Sacramento County has risen from $33.9 million to nearly $126 million today – a staggering 271 percent increase.

But an investigation by The Sacramento Bee has found that, despite more money and lower caseloads, Sacramento County holds a dubious distinction among the state's largest counties: It has the highest rate of kids who are abused or neglected again within a year after contact with CPS.