Cannot connect to PgPool

I have 3 postgresql services running and I have them correctly
referenced in the pgpool.conf file.

However, I get the following error when I try to create db's to them
using the following command:
psql -p 9999 db_name

psql: server closed the connection unexpectedly
This probably means the server terminated abnormally
before or while processing the request.

The PgPool log when this occurs is the following:

2008-01-04 20:37:12 LOG: pid 8670: Cannot accept() new connection.
all backends are down
2008-01-04 20:37:12 DEBUG: pid 8663: reap_handler called
2008-01-04 20:37:12 DEBUG: pid 8663: reap_handler: call wait3
2008-01-04 20:37:12 DEBUG: pid 8663: child 8670 exits with status 256
by signal 0
2008-01-04 20:37:12 DEBUG: pid 8663: fork a new child pid 8881
2008-01-04 20:37:12 DEBUG: pid 8663: reap_handler: normally exited
2008-01-04 20:37:12 DEBUG: pid 8881: I am 8881