It's been a difficult year for the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, with a number of children in its care dying and suffering serious injury. In the February 1st issue of the New Yorker, Harvard University history professor Jill Lepore explored the agency's past, its current struggles, and the underlying problems plaguing child welfare services across the country. She discussed her findings with WGBH All Things Considered host Barbara Howard.

Jill Lepore's New Yorker article can be read here.