Pink teddy bears sat atop 4-foot coffins at the Tuesday funeral of two children whose tragic deaths jolted D.C. into reform of its child welfare system.

About 150 people gathered at the Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church in Northeast D.C. to participate in a lively tribute to Aja Fogle, 5, and her 6-year-old sister, N’Kiah Fogle. The two girls were found dead in their home Jan. 9, along with two half-sisters. U.S. marshals discovered their bodies while serving an eviction notice at the Anacostia row house.

Their mother, Banita Jacks, 33, has been charged with murder in their deaths, but the extreme decomposition of the bodies prevented medical examiners from determining an exact cause of death. A city investigation revealed that the Child and Family Services Agency had not followed up on tips about problems in the Jacks family.

In his eulogy, Bishop George Hawkins Sr. passionately exclaimed that people should embrace religion and make children their highest priority.

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“We need Jesus in our homes,” Hawkins said. “We would not be here today if Jesus was in the homes.”

The funeral followed the recent release of the remains by the medical examiner’s office. City officials had delayed the release while they sorted out who could legally claim the bodies.

The two other sisters, 16-year-old Brittany Jacks and 11-year-old Tatiana Jacks, will likely be buried a week from Saturday, according to Raymond Funeral Service in La Plata, Md.

In front of the two white coffins Tuesday, audience members alternated between crying and clapping their hands as clergy honored the two girls through prayer and gospel songs. Nurses dressed in white patrolled the aisles with boxes of tissues.

An obituary read aloud by Carol Owens Ford, the church’s senior executive assistant, noted that N’Kiah Fogle enjoyed dogs, reading and praying with her grandmother Jessie Fogle, who sat in the front row. She said Aja Fogle was very tidy, often jumped rope and played with her dolls. Their favorite cartoons were “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Dora the Explorer.”

Ford also read a statement from Mayor Adrian Fenty.

“The District is doing all we can to prevent this tragedy from befalling another family,” Fenty’s statement said.

An eclectic mix of prominent local clergy spoke to the audience, including the Rev. Anthony Motley. Motley coordinates with police to respond to crime scenes, and ministered neighbors and first responders at the Jacks’ home.

“Just remember,” Motley said, “God loves little children."