U.S. District Judge Janis Jack said Monday that the Health and Human Services Commission had violated two previous court orders requiring the state to investigate abuse and neglect allegations lodged against its providers in a timely manner.

In a 427-page order, she offered more than a dozen examples of investigations that had “serious deficiencies” that caused some of the most vulnerable foster children to remain in dangerous placements for long periods.Jack said she found it notable that most investigations were prompted by people other than the child’s caregiver, such as a health care provider or law enforcement officer.