Mom didn't know about death until 2 days later

Ashley Lane identifies the deceased child as her 2-year-old son, Xavier Hopp, and says he was living in Ellenville.

The woman whose 2-year-old son died in foster care in Ulster County last week says she wasn’t informed by authorities about her child’s death until two days later, after she identified herself as his mother on the Freeman’s Facebook page.

Ashley Lane, 23, of Poughkeepsie, said she was told by authorities on Friday that Xavier Hopp had died Wednesday. Lane said her understanding is the toddler died from head trauma he suffered when he fell down a flight of stairs at his foster home in Ellenville.

Xavier’s death is the subject of investigations by state agencies, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, though authorities have not provided any details about the circumstances or said whether the matter is considered criminal.

Lane said Xavier was removed from her Poughkeepsie home “because the house was falling apart” and was placed with a pre-adoptive parent on Nov. 22, 2015, joining his 3-year-old brother, who had been placed there previously.

Lane said both her children were healthy when they were placed in foster care.

She said she hopes Xavier’s pre-adoptive mother “tells the truth” about what happened, so “we can put this to rest.”

In an email to the Freeman on Friday, the New York State Office of Children & Family Services said it had launched an investigation and “a thorough review” of the death of a child in foster care in Ulster County.

Monica Mahaffey, assistant commissioner for communications at the New York State Office of Children & Family Services, wrote, “We are deeply saddened to hear of this child’s death. OCFS immediately launched an investigation and is in the process of conducting a thorough review of the case.”

Julie Brennan, spokeswoman for the Berkshire Farm Center & Services for Youth in Canaan, Columbia County, said Friday there was a death at a foster home in Ulster County with which the agency is associated, and she said the agency would work “in partnership with our governing bodies and authorities” to assist the investigation.

Brennan, like law-enforcement officials, would not provide any details about the death.

The child was placed in foster care by Dutchess County Community & Family Services, which has declined to provide the Freeman with information about the death.

Ulster County District Attorney Holley Carnright has not responded to requests for comment.