Far from Home | Far from Safe

California sent thousands of vulnerable children to out-of-state facilities run by a for-profit company. Reports of rampant abuse followed. Now, confronted with a Chronicle and Imprint investigation, the state is bringing every child home.

A New Mexico residential facility for youth run by the for-profit Sequel Youth & Family Services will close following findings that staff physically abused children and failed to provide a “humane” environment.

County officials across California are scrambling to find new homes for more than 100 children with mental health and behavioral issues, following the state’s landmark decision to stop shipping these young people to far-away facilities. The state’s abrupt shift came in response to an investigation by The San Francisco Chronicle and The Imprint, which detailed allegations of violent abuse at institutions certified by California.

California will spend more than $8 million to find safer homes for children returning from troubled out-of-state residential programs, in response to a Chronicle and Imprint investigation into rampant reports of abuse at the facilities.

One of the nation’s largest youth residential treatment programs is shutting down after California officials, prompted by a San Francisco Chronicle and Imprint investigation into rampant abuse allegations, decided to stop sending vulnerable children there.

Legislation pending in the California Legislature would permanently bar child welfare and juvenile justice authorities from sending troubled youth to out-of-state residential facilities.

California has banned the practice of sending foster youth and teens charged with crimes to faraway residential treatment programs, following an investigation by The Imprint.

More than 130 children have been brought back to California and counties now have more than $100 million to develop in-state, locally based programs.