Rep. George Miller Holds a Hearing On Cases of Child Neglect and Abuse at Private Residential Treatment Facilities

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Rep. George Miller Holds a Hearing On Cases of Child Neglect and Abuse at Private Residential Treatment Facilities

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR HOLDS A HEARING ON CASES OF CHILD NEGLECT AND ABUSE AT PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITIES

OCTOBER 10, 2007

SPEAKERS: REP. GEORGE MILLER, D-CALIF., CHAIRMAN REP. DALE E. KILDEE, D-MICH. REP. DONALD M. PAYNE, D-N.J. REP. ROBERT E. ANDREWS, D-N.J. REP. ROBERT C. SCOTT, D-VA. REP. LYNN C. WOOLSEY, D-CALIF. REP. RUBEN HINOJOSA, D-TEXAS REP. CAROLYN MCCARTHY, D-N.Y. REP. JOHN F. TIERNEY, D-MASS. REP. DENNIS J. KUCINICH, D-OHIO REP. DAVID WU, D-ORE. REP. RUSH D. HOLT, D-N.J. REP. SUSAN A. DAVIS, D-CALIF. REP. DANNY K. DAVIS, D-ILL. REP. RAUL M. GRIJALVA, D-ARIZ. REP. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP, D-N.Y. REP. LINDA T. SANCHEZ, D-CALIF. REP. JOHN SARBANES, D-MD. REP. JOE SESTAK, D-PA. REP. DAVE LOEBSACK, D-IOWA REP. MAZIE K. HIRONO, D-HAWAII REP. JASON ALTMIRE, D-PA. REP. JOHN YARMUTH, D-KY. REP. PHIL HARE, D-ILL. REP. YVETTE D. CLARKE, D-N.Y. REP. JOE COURTNEY, D-CONN. REP. CAROL SHEA-PORTER, D-N.H.

REP. HOWARD P. "BUCK" MCKEON, R-CALIF., RANKING MEMBER REP. TOM PETRI, R-WIS. REP. PETER HOEKSTRA, R-MICH. REP. MICHAEL N. CASTLE, R-DEL. REP. MARK SOUDER, R-IND. REP. VERNON J. EHLERS, R-MICH. REP. JUDY BIGGERT, R-ILL. REP. TODD R. PLATTS, R-PA. REP. RIC KELLER, R-FLA. REP. JOE WILSON, R-S.C. REP. JOHN KLINE, R-MINN. REP. CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS, R-WASH. REP. KENNY MARCHANT, R-TEXAS REP. TOM PRICE, R-GA. DEL, LUIS FORTUNO, R-P.R. REP. CHARLES BOUSTANY JR., R-LA. REP. VIRGINIA FOXX, R-N.C. REP. JOHN R. "RANDY" KUHL JR., R-N.Y. REP. ROB BISHOP, R-UTAH REP. DAVID DAVIS, R-TENN. REP. TIM WALBERG, R-MICH. REP. DEAN HELLER, R-NEV.

WITNESSES: GREG KUTZ, MANAGING DIRECTOR, FORENSIC AUDITS AND SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS, GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE

CYNTHIA HARVEY, MOTHER OF CHILD VICTIM

BOB BACON, FATHER OF CHILD VICTIM

PAUL LEWIS, FATHER OF CHILD VICTIM

ALLISON PINTO, RESEARCH PSYCHOLOGIST & ASSISTANT RESEARCH PROFESSOR, LOUIS DE LA PARTE FLORIDA MEDICAL HEALTH INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

JAN MOSS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THERAPEUTIC SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS

[*] MILLER: Good morning.

A quorum being present, the investigative hearing of the Committee on Education and Labor titled "Cases of Child Neglect and Abuse in Private Residential Treatment Facilities" will come to order.

Pursuant to Committee Rule 12(a), any member may submit an opening statement in writing which will be made part of the permanent record, and I will recognize myself, followed by the senior Republican member, Mr. McKeon, for an opening statement.

I want to welcome everybody to today's hearing on cases of child neglect and abuse at private residential treatment facilities. For a number of years now, I've been deeply concerned about the allegations of child abuse in private residential treatment programs, which are often referred to as boot camps or wilderness programs or behavior modification facilities. These allegations range from neglect to torture, a word I do not use lightly.

Today, we will hear about neglect and abuse cases where the outcome was the worst one imaginable, the death of a child. We will hear testimony from parents of children who died, and I thank them for joining us today and for having the courage to speak publicly about their ordeals.

It is estimated that hundreds of private residential treatment programs operate nationwide. The programs are governed for the most part by a weak patchwork of state regulations. In many states, these programs operate without regulation, licensing or accreditation of any kind, despite often exorbitant prices of tuition.

Parents often send their children to these programs when they feel they have exhausted their alternatives. Their children may be abusing drugs or alcohol, attempting to run away or physically harm themselves, or otherwise acting out. They send their children to these programs because the promises of staff members to be able to help children straighten out their lives.

In far too many cases, however, the very people entrusted with the safety, the health and the welfar...

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