An Associated Press investigation has uncovered allegations of abuse and neglect at Calo Programs, a taxpayer-funded treatment centre for adopted children in rural Missouri. The facility, also known as Change Academy at Lake of the Ozarks, charges up to $20,000 per month, often paid by state agencies. Despite marketing itself as a lakeside healing academy, police reports from 2020 to 2025 reveal frequent incidents of assault, drug use, and runaway attempts.
Former employees and parents describe minimal treatment and schooling, with young, poorly trained staff. One mother likened the environment to 'Lord of the Flies'. Calo denies wrongdoing, stating that student outcomes prove the effectiveness of their approach. However, local juvenile detention centre director Stacy Roberts criticised the facility, saying it prioritises profit over care.
Calo specialises in adoption trauma, with 90% of clients being adopted children, many diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder. Critics argue that this condition is overdiagnosed in adoptees. The centre is part of the troubled teen industry, where adoptees are up to ten times more likely to be institutionalised than non-adoptees.
Lawsuits against the company are ongoing, and state agencies have raised concerns about oversight and transparency. Calo maintains that it serves the hardest-to-treat cases and that its innovative treatment yields positive results.
