Residential Facilities

Residential Facilities: State and Federal Oversight Gaps May Increase Risk to Youth Well-Being

Unfortunately, states generally do a poor job in monitoring & operating facilities. The Pacer Center sent out this information about testimony by Kay E. Brown, director, education, workforce, and income security issues, before the House Committee on Education and Labor, April 24, 2008. "Ms. Brown's testimony is based on the GAO's ongoing work, which included national surveys to state agencies of child welfare, health, and mental health, and juvenile justice for the year 2006. Nationwide, federal funding to states supported more than 200,000 youth in facilities seeking help for behavioral or emotional challenges in 2004. Recent federal reviews and investigations highlighted maltreatment in some facilities, resulting in hospitalizations and deaths; survey respondents from 49 states reported investigating physical and sexual abuse and neglect and 28 states reported deaths. The full testimony can be found at http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-696T ; highlights can be found at http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08696thigh.pdf "