State traces sex offenders to child-care homes

The state social services agency Wednesday was moving to shut down nine homes used for child day care and foster care after an audit found registered sex offenders in them in violation of state law.

The revelation came after state auditors compared the addresses of 75,000 licensed facilities, including foster family homes and in-home day-care centers, with the state’s database of registered sex offenders.

California Department of Social Services Director John Wagner said the audit found that the addresses of 49 sex offenders matched those of 46 child-care facilities, 25 of which are in Los Angeles. The department was able to confirm nine of the cases during inspections of all 46 facilities that were completed Monday, Wagner said.

Three license suspensions already are in effect -- two in Los Angeles and one in San Bernardino.

Two foster children were removed Wednesday by Los Angeles authorities responding to one of the cases, Wagner said. In another case, a sex offender was living in a home with three children and two grandchildren.

The department would not immediately give details on the other six pending suspensions.