Last December relatives of foster parents, John and Danielle Yates, were shocked when they saw the frail condition of their two foster children. The children are five years old and four years old. The relatives took the children to the hospital where examiners found they were malnourished and had lost weight in the four years that they were in the care of the Yates family.
John and Danielle Yates were indicted and charged with first-degree assault and criminal mistreatment. They have been booked with bail set at $350,000 each.
The children were placed in the care of John and Danielle Yates by Oregon’s Department of Human Services. John and Danielle Yates were given guardianship of the children. Following indictment, the Oregon DHS has put three of its workers in the child welfare division on paid administrative leave, pending an investigation.
These investigations, or incident reviews, are mandatory when a child in the system dies. But they can also be ordered under other special circumstances, such as this one. The investigation is expected to take up to six weeks. It is unclear why the investigation didn’t begin in December when the children were taken to the hospital — but rather now, after indictment. The employees under investigation have not been identified.
The children are currently in the care of relatives of the biological parents, and the sheriff’s office has asked that anyone with any information regarding the children or their foster parents should contact Detective Marc Brodeur at 503-434-7506.
The full story may be read at OregonLive.com.
