Wash. Foster Kids Abused At Iowa Institution: Report

SEATTLE, WA - Foster kids from Washington sent to an Iowa institution were subject to physical and verbal abuse, according to an investigation by Disability Rights Washington. The state sends children with behavioral health needs to more than a dozen different out-of-state institutions, according to the report.

The report is based on interviews with the Washington children who were sent to Clarinda Academy in rural southwest Iowa and another institution in that state. The report states that the Washington children at Clarinda "reported consistent allegations of verbal and physical abuse, and earnestly complained that they desired to live somewhere else."

"DRW’s investigation found that this is a very restrictive and segregated institution where the policies, training, and oversight do not adequately protect against the risk of abusive restraints," Disability Rights Washington said in a statement.

The children are not allowed to leave the facility, according to the report, and Washington officials do not sufficiently oversee Clarinda's programs. The state Department of Children, Youth and Families said Wednesday that case workers will begin calling and visiting children housed in out-of-state facilities.

Here's the full report:

Let Us Come Home PDF by Neal McNamara on Scribd

Caption: A bird's eye view of the Clarinda Academy campus

Image via Google Maps