After Death Ruled Homicide, State Shuts Facility
Seven months after The Texas Tribune and the Houston Chronicle revealed staff at a Manvel residential treatment center had forced young girls with disabilities to fight each other, the state has shuttered Daystar Residential Inc. The move follows the Harris County medical examiner's determination that a 16-year-old foster child's death at the facility — one that occurred in November following a physical restraint — was a homicide.
“Today, we have revoked Daystar’s license to operate, effective immediately," Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner Anne Heiligenstein said in a statement. "This facility is just not safe for children."
The ...
Comments (6)
Terry Miles via Texas Tribune on Facebook
SICK! Glad they were shut down. Staff in these places work for minimum wage, and I know from experience that many are drug/alcohol users with little training.
La Lisa Hernandez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Our children are in trouble...we need to keep an eye on Baby Judge Brent Chesney who doesn't seem to know the law, and knows less about children.
judy burns
Can everyone say "finally"? This facility should have been shut down before this homicide occurred.
Judy Burns via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Should have been closed BEFORE a homicide occurred.
Beverly Carlson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Agree with Judy. I hope charges will be filed.
PBMom
Kudos to the Tribune and Chronicle, but what does this say about us as people of the state of Texas? Do we have to have media attention put on everything situation that should not have existed in the first place? How many more people are suffering silently in these facilities. Sad enough that the state did not even take action until it was forced to by the Department of Justice 2 years ago. Then the legislators all pat themselves on the back for making "changes" to the system that should have been changed decades ago? And from what I've read, things are no better. Yet, this year, programs for people who are disabled through no fault of their own will be the first to be cut. We can judge ourselves as a society by the way we treat the least among us. We're not doing so good.