Press Releases

Tens of thousands of children are living in youth residential treatment facilities nationwide. At their best, these programs provide counseling, treatment, and care for struggling teens and children. Unfortunately, investigations have uncovered harrowing stories of abuse at these centers, including fight clubs, sexual abuse, forced isolation, inadequate medical care, and even death.

In Case You Missed It, Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) joined Paris Hilton, who experienced abuse as a teen in institutional care, on Fox News to advocate for the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act. This bill will provide greater oversight and data transparency for institutional youth treatment programs so that parents and children alike have an accurate understanding of the practices, goals, and ethics of these centers.

Here are the highlights:

ON THE NEED FOR FEDERAL OVERSIGHT

"What we want is to have oversight and to have transparency... particularly when there is a nexus between the federal government [and] funding these centers."

"We have a responsibility...to make sure we have oversight over these facilities."

ON BAD ACTORS IN TROUBLED TEEN INDUSTRY

"I don’t doubt that there are some good institutions that are doing great work out there, but there are also some bad actors as there are in every profession. [Those are] the ones that we are after here."

“We need transparency. We need oversight.”

Watch the full interview here.