A 16-year-old boy walking near the DHS office Tuesday morning told a reporter he has been sleeping in the building. He said about eight children are currently staying there, including a 5-year-old, and that they all have beds in a large room. Later that day, a DHS employee was observed dropping off a young boy for the night; the child was to stay at the office until a foster home could be found.

The practice has alarmed child welfare advocates and city officials, who say it reflects deepening strains on a system already under scrutiny.

"This sounds to me like maybe you've got a department that's understaffed and underpaid, but it should not get to the point where children are sleeping wherever they're sleeping in these offices," said Marci Hamilton, a child welfare expert and professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

A federal audit published in July found that more than 9,000 children in foster care nationwide had to temporarily stay in hotels, office buildings and other settings when states could not find suitable placements over an 18-month period.

Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier, a member of the Committee on Children and Youth, said she had heard before that foster children stay at the DHS building.

"I believe that's some sort of emergency measure, but to me, it just brings into highlight how much of a crisis we have not only with our child-serving systems and making sure they're equipped to serve our children well, but with housing in this city," Gauthier said.

The committee will hold hearings to examine the city's child welfare system in light of the death of 10-year-old Malayshia Alford. Malayshia's foster mother, Carprice Williams, is charged with killing her. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Thursday his office is launching a separate investigation into what led to Malayshia's death, including foster care placement procedures.

Mayor Cherelle Parker has signed an executive order to review the foster care system following the child's death.

CBS News Philadelphia asked the city and the state Department of Human Services why children sleep at the building and how long they stay there. The city did not answer those questions. A spokesperson for the state said officials were still gathering information about the current situation, but that in the past, children have been allowed to stay in the office on a case-by-case basis.

The presence of children sleeping in a city office building underscores the pressures on a foster care system that has faced mounting questions about oversight and placement capacity. Advocates say the practice, while described as an emergency measure, raises concerns about the well-being of children who are already in traumatic transitions.

The Committee on Children and Youth hearings are expected to examine both the circumstances of Malayshia's death and broader systemic failures. The district attorney's investigation is ongoing.