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City Spent $11 Million On Provider For Dead Girl

NEW YORK (AP) -- The city paid almost $11 million to a care provider in charge of monitoring an emaciated 4-year-old girl found dead in her home.

A grand jury has been convened to hear evidence surrounding the death of Marchella Pierce last month.

The city Administration for Children's Services has blamed Child Development Support Corp. for not notifying caseworkers in February that the girl's mother had tested positive for marijuana.

The provider has said it briefed ACS that Carlotta Brett-Pierce failed a drug test. She is charged with assault, endangering the welfare of a child and drug possession.

The city paid Child Development Support Corp. $10.9 million since 2006 to monitor high-risk cases.

Marchella weighted 18 pounds when she died Sept. 2.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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