How Could You? Hall of Shame-Melvalena Grant

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Del City, Oklahoma, foster mother Melvalena Grant has been arrested due to ” four children in her care were beaten and starved.”

“Grant remained adamant she did not abuse the four foster children in her care. Del City police said she used a wooden back scratcher to hit the kids. Two children are ages 4 and 9 and two are 7.

“They were being beaten with the stick until they bled,” said Maj. Ted Kleber, with the Del City Police Department.

Court documents say the abuse was discovered during a doctor visit earlier this month.

According to an arrest warrant, two of the children were found to have “extreme low weight and height.”

All four children “were failing to thrive due to neglect and lack of nutritional food.”

According to court documents, the children told police that Grant would use food as a form of punishment.

Rale: Did you starve them?”

Grant: “Hell, no. I did not starve those kids.”

She was arrested on four counts of child abuse and four counts of child neglect. The district attorney has not filed formal charges, but police said they are expected soon.

Police said they also found cocaine inside the home.

The children were removed from the home.

KOCO 5 has reached out to the Department of Human Services about the allegations Grant is facing. Officials said she has passed all previous background checks and released the following statement:

“DHS takes all allegations of abuse or neglect seriously, especially if that abuse or neglect occurred in a foster home. This is an ongoing investigation and we are going to have to see what the investigation reveals.”

DHS officials said Grant has been a foster parent since 2013.”

Del City foster mother accused of beating, starving 4 children

[Koco 10/17/17 by Zach Rael]

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