In a startling revelation, a government committee has released an investigative report detailing severe abuses in facilities caring for vulnerable children, funded by taxpayer dollars through Medicaid and child welfare programs. The report highlights a disturbing pattern of sexual, physical, and verbal abuse, as well as unsafe conditions and inadequate behavioral health care, suggesting that neglect and maltreatment have become systemic within these institutions.

The investigation, which spanned several years and involved a review of 25,000 pages of documents from major industry players such as Universal Health Services and Acadia Health Care, uncovered a troubling operating model focused on maximizing profits at the expense of child welfare. Facilities are reportedly understaffed with unqualified personnel, leading to environments that resemble prisons rather than therapeutic settings.

The report cites alarming incidents, including the routine use of restraints and seclusion, drugging of children, and even cases of sexual abuse by staff members. One particularly tragic account involved a child who escaped a facility and was fatally struck by a vehicle, with staff allegedly attempting to cover up the incident.

The committee emphasized that these facilities often receive substantial federal funding—over $1,200 per day per child from Medicaid—despite failing to provide adequate care. The findings have prompted calls for bipartisan action to reform funding practices, ensuring that taxpayer money is only allocated to facilities that can demonstrate high-quality care.

The committee's chair expressed disappointment that a representative from one of the implicated companies declined to testify, labeling the business model as indefensible. Moving forward, the committee aims to implement stricter oversight and enforcement to prevent further abuses, highlighting the urgent need for accountability in a system that has allowed such practices to persist unchecked.