Thread by @reveal

The U.S. government is rapidly expanding its shelter network to accommodate the 10,000 unaccompanied children in its care.

Our reporting found they’re adding new providers with troubling track records, histories of abuse and little experience.

revealnews.org/article/nc-shu…

We teamed up with @WRAL on a new investigation into the government’s plan to open more shelters for unaccompanied children. Here’s what we found:

@WRAL The New Horizon Group Home in North Carolina was shut down by the state last year after inspectors found conditions inside that presented “an imminent danger” to the children.

@WRAL New Horizon can’t obtain a child care license in North Carolina until 2023.

The federal government just gave them $4 million dollars to house migrant children. And it requires New Horizon to have a child care license.

@WRAL In Georgia, the Office of Refugee Resettlement awarded the Baptiste Group $13.3 million to open two new shelters.

@WRAL Like New Horizon, Baptiste doesn’t have a child care license. We also couldn't find evidence that they have experience in residential child care, or even a facility to house children.

@WRAL A facility in San Benito, Texas, Sunny Glen Children’s Home, was also awarded a $31 million dollar grant earlier this month, even though state records show that Texas officials have cited them for 94 violations in the past three years.

@WRAL This isn’t the first time the government has given grants to shelter providers with troubling histories.

Between 2014 and 2018, the Office of Refugee Resettlement provided $1.5 billion dollars to companies operating homes with child abuse allegations.

revealnews.org/article/migran…

@WRAL By 2010, three children had died at Shiloh Treatment Center and other affiliated programs after being physically restrained by staff.

The government ignored the red flags and began funding the shelter in 2013, sending Shiloh a total of more than $25 million dollars in grants.

@WRAL We discovered that Shiloh was forcibly drugging migrant children with psychotropic drugs–without proper consent.

revealnews.org/blog/immigrant…

@WRAL Last month, @aurabogado reported that as the government expands its shelter network, young children were being held without their mothers, and with no access to legal services.

revealnews.org/article/the-us…

@WRAL @aurabogado Our project, The Office of Missing Children, told the story of one child who was held in an office building owned by a company without a child care license.

revealnews.org/article/when-a…

@WRAL @aurabogado Read the story:

revealnews.org/article/nc-shu…