BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      Boardman police are investigating allegations of child abuse at a foster home at 351 Marlyn Place after a 4-year-old boy was examined at Akron Childrens Hospital last week.
      Police were sent to the hospital’s Child Advocacy Center after a social worker was notified by Alta Pre-School the boy had “suspicious marks and showed other signs of abuse and neglect,” Ptl. Evan Beil said.
      “Alta advised [the boy] often smelled like urine and feces, suffered from poor oral hygiene and came to school in clothes that were soiled and often too small,” Officer Beil said.
      According to the policeman, the social worker, Courtney Wilson, “brought [the child to the Advocacy Center] for an interview and medical examination and found several suspicious bruises, welts and marks,” adding “all of the pre-school’s claims appear to be valid.”
      During his interview, in the home, and claimed his ‘foster parents’ allowed that to happen and did not intervene, Ptl. Beil said. He also noted that “despite being 4-years-old, the boy still wears pull-ups and [his foster parent] has failed to even attempt to train him.”
      Wilson told police that one of the foster parents “has a lengthy criminal record and is not supposed to be at the foster home because of his record.”
      Officer Beil said “due to the issues, the boy was removed from the home on Mar. 19 and remaining foster children are also being removed from the home.”
      The 4-year-old boy was placed into the home last fall by the Cuyahoga County Childrens Services Agency and the foster care facility operates outside of the jurisdiction of Mahoning County Childrens Services.
      “[The Marlyn Place] address is not a home which the Mahoning County Children Services Board has recommended nor maintains,” Jennifer Kollar, public information officer told The Boardman News.
      The foster home has been operated for several years by Alfreda Atkins, also known as Alfreda White and Freda Burns, formerly of 1424 Fifth Ave., Youngstown, according to reports filed with the Boardman Police Department and is apparently licensed through a firm called Ohio Mentor Inc., with local offices on Stutz Dr. in Canfield.
      Records on file with the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office show the filing agent for Ohio Mentor Inc. is the Institute for Family Centered Services Inc., of Boston, Mass.
      “Ohio Mentor Inc. is a private child placing agency that does have foster homes in Ohio,” Kollar said, adding “Due to confidentiality rules, we are prohibited from confirming whether this home has a valid foster home certificate issued by the Ohio Department of Job and family Services, nor would we be permitted to disclose who if any, is the recommending agency.”
      Boardman police have been called to the Marlyn Place home several times during the past three years, and in Dec. 2017, the home was brought to the attention of Boardman Township Trustees by two nearby residents who complained of the constant traffic in and out of the home.
      That prompted a response from Boardman Township Planning/Zoning Director Krista Beniston that noted “Mahoning County Children Services did not have any record of the property and they do not have any records regarding private operators, even those in Mahoning County.”
      Beniston said she spoke with Alyssa Mott, of Ohio Mentor and was told that 351 Marlyn Place “is a treatment/therapeutic foster home for children with mental health issues.
      Mott told Beniston that someone from Ohio Mentor visits the property bi-monthly and that therapists are in the home several times a week.
      “I was told that Alfreda Atkins (63-years-old) lives there,” Beniston said, adding that Moot said Atkins was able to have up to five children at one time on the home.
      When Beniston asked Mott what agency licensed the home, Mott said she “was not sure.”
      According to Boardman Police Department records, police have logged 46 calls to 351 Marlyn Place since Mar. 1, 2014.