BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Kern County's foster care system is under fire again after results of a state audit show both improvements and weaknesses.

Just last month, the plight of children in foster care was highlighted when an infant died in foster care and her twin was hospitalized.

Sen. Dean Florez said he is glad the audit found the county has made some improvements when it comes to back ground checks for foster care providers. But Florez is not happy with all of the audit's findings.

"One of the more disturbing findings is that we had a set of foster care parents here in Kern County that were administering corporal punishment, which is against state law. The kids were being severely beaten. The county's answer was to come in and take half those kids but leave the other half with those parents," Florez said.

Human Services Director Beverly Beasley-Johnson said her department is in full agreement with the audit findings but she still defends the actions taken by the department even though she cannot comment on the cases cited in the audit.

"The social workers go out to the home and talk to all the children. The social workers talk to the foster parents. It's ultimately the social workers who make a recommendation of whether the case should be substantiated or if it's inconclusive," Beasley-Johnson said.

Florez said he is frustrated that he cannot find out what happened in these specific cases.

"They hide under the veil of confidentiality. They are not able to tell us what actually is going on in the system," Florez complained.

Florez would like to see the veil of secrecy lifted and said he will likely introduce legislation next year to address the issues raised in the audit.