The Oregon Department of Human Services is investigating accusations that workers at a residential program for boys and young men in Eastern Oregon provided poor supervision and failed to report alleged sex abuse by a female staffer.

In its amended license for the facility, obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive, the department said it's investigating hiring practices and training at Eastern Oregon Academy, in Hines, which is about three miles from Burns.

Officials cited concerns that staffers "may be inexperienced or immature and possibly colluding with children in care to elope from the facility, consume drugs and alcohol, and participate in sexual relationships."

But the department has decided not to pull the approximately half-dozen foster children in its care. Instead, it's stationed at the facility 24 hours a day since launching its investigation July 14.

The department has previously assigned employees to monitor licensed care facilities. But in recent cases, those employees were present only during daytime hours, agency spokesman Gene Evans said.

Eastern Oregon Academy also serves youth from the Oregon Youth Authority. But the Oregon Youth Authority decided to remove the 11 residents under its jurisdiction on Aug. 10, pending the investigation, a state officials said.

"We plan to continue daily monitoring and will take further action if necessary," Reginald C. Richardson, the human services department's deputy director and interim head of child welfare, wrote to state lawmakers Friday.

Richardson and Sen. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, visited the facility in mid-August.

"I had to see for myself what the situation was like," Richardson wrote. "Children's safety is our number one priority, and I will continue in this hands-on role to make sure the youth residing there are safe and their needs met."

Eastern Oregon Academy provides behavioral rehabilitation services for boys and young men ages 12 to 25, according to its website.

Problems at the facility do not appear to be new: It was on a "radar list" of troubled facilities the Department of Human Services maintained until December, although it was unclear Friday why or for how long human services officials included the facility on the list. Staff at Eastern Oregon Academy could not be reached for comment late Friday.

The human services department faces a shortage of foster homes and space in residential programs, after losing about 400 foster homes and 100 residential beds over the past two years, spokeswoman Andrea Cantu-Schomus wrote in an email.

Gelser said Friday that allowing youth to remain at Eastern Oregon Academy under human services supervision was appropriate given the shortage of other options.

"When we're looking at the capacity issues in the system, if there isn't a direct danger to the kids, having them sleep in a hotel or DHS office isn't an ideal solution," Gelser said. "But having been out there, I believe at least in the short term having the 24-hour onsite supervision by DHS will help with the issue."

Gelser championed legislation in the 2016 legislative session to improve oversight in the foster care system. The legislation followed several scandals and a massive shakeup of senior human services staff.

Meanwhile, local law enforcement officials are investigating an allegation that a woman who worked at Eastern Oregon Academy had sexual contact with one of the boys staying there, according to the facility's amended Department of Human Services license.

The state is also investigating reported bad behavior by managers at the facility. After the human services department launched its investigation, the academy's program manager allegedly "yelled and threw papers at a resident during transport, shouted loudly at two residents prior to discharge, and at one point 'shoulder checked' a resident," according to the amended license.

On another occasion, Eastern Oregon Academy managers allegedly grew frustrated with a resident who refused to get into a vehicle after a nature field trip -- leaving the youth alone, for more than two hours, in woods some 40 miles from the academy.

Eastern Oregon Academy also allegedly failed to report these incidents to DHS.

Gelser said the current situation stems, in part, from years of state officials failing to spend enough on quality programs for foster children and other youth in state care.

"It's the consequence of a complete disinvestment in the system," Gelser said. "And in order for people to provide service and care for our most traumatized kids and kids with the most complex needs, it costs more than just food and some beds."

-- Hillary Borrud

503-294-4034; @hborrud