At an emotionally charged Philadelphia City Council hearing that was often interrupted by shouts of anger from the gallery, parents of children in foster care and legal experts told council members that the city’s chief child welfare agency needs an overhaul.

The council Public Health and Human Services Committee hearing Tuesday was related to a resolution drafted by City Councilman-at-Large David Oh, who is calling for the city Department of Human Services to implement “objective guidelines and uniform reporting standards” for social workers to rely on when they suspect a child is being abused.