The Associated Press says at least 786 children in the United States have died of abuse and neglect in a six-year span, saying the children died "in plain view of child protection authorities."
AP says it discovered during its eight-month investigation that many of the children were "beaten, starved or left alone to drown while agencies had good reason to know they were in danger."
AP conducted the survey in the 50 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia and branches of the military. The report says many states "struggled to provide numbers" and that "secrecy often prevailed."
The survey revealed that most of the 768 children known to have died were under the age of four.
The data collection system on child deaths is so flawed, AP said, that no one can say for certain how many children overall die from abuse or neglect every year.
The federal government estimates an average of about 1,650 deaths annually in recent years. The Associated Press reports many believe the actual number is twice as high.