An Associated Press investigation has uncovered a deeply troubling trend: adopted children, promised 'forever homes,' are instead being confined in for-profit residential treatment centers, wilderness programs, and boarding schools. These facilities, originally known for targeting rebellious teenagers from wealthy families, have shifted their focus to adopted kids. Experts estimate that adoptees, who make up only 2% of American children, account for 25-40% of those in residential treatment.
A System of Shadow Orphanages
Adoptees told the AP they feel trapped in a shadow orphanage system, where they end up institutionalized instead of being cared for in loving homes. Some remain for years in oppressive and abusive facilities, with costs reaching up to $20,000 per month. These centers often market themselves as treating reactive attachment disorder (RAD), a diagnosis that experts say is misapplied to most teenagers in these programs. Brian Allen, a psychologist at Penn State’s Center for the Protection of Children, explains that RAD is extremely rare and applies only to children under five, not older children with behavioral issues.
Life Inside the Facilities
Kate, a former resident who was adopted, described her experience at Uinta Academy in Utah. She was held down by staff for what felt like an hour after a panic attack. She spent most of her adolescence in such facilities, learning to suppress her emotions. 'I had no feelings,' she said. 'I was a robot.' Police reports reveal children as young as nine experience violence, sexual abuse, and self-harm. Communication with parents is limited and monitored. Many feel it is like prison without a sentence or judicial oversight.
Profit-Driven and Unregulated
The industry is largely unregulated and profit-driven. Private equity firms have acquired centers, commercializing treatment. The AP found at least 80 facilities specifically advertising for adoption-related issues. Raj Kumar, a financial analyst, notes that residential treatment centers aim for 20% profit margins by minimizing staffing costs and maximizing the length of stay. Public and private equity companies have been drawn to the promise of significant profits, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic increased funding for youth mental health.
Deaths and Lawsuits
Two of Family Help & Wellness’s properties closed after children died. Trails Carolina shut down in 2024 after a 12-year-old boy suffocated, and Asheville Academy closed after two girls died by suicide. A lawsuit against Uinta Academy alleges dehumanizing punishments and a staffer who raped a 16-year-old girl. Biruk Silvers, 17, was found dead hanging from a bunk bed at Discovery Ranch, which was fined $10,300 for safety violations. The state temporarily barred the facility from taking new children, but it resumed operations after passing inspections.
A Corrupted Diagnosis
Many facilities diagnose adopted children with RAD, but experts argue this is a misinterpretation. Sloan Nova, a psychologist at UCSF, says parents are desperate for answers and are drawn to seductive promises from treatment centers. However, the treatment offered—obedience-based therapies—has no empirical basis and often leaves children more traumatized. 'We should absolutely not be doing those types of heavy-handed, obedience-focused, boot camp kinds of things,' Allen said.
Kate, now 22, still struggles with the trauma. She said the facility convinced her that part of her was bad and needed to be stripped away. 'They’d strip away any sort of individuality,' she recalled. 'We were afraid all of the time.'
