This is a first step but there’s more work to be done to ensure more accountability and better training for residential staff, including when working with trauma survivors and people with disabilities, particularly nonverbal children.” “This report makes it clear that the federal government needs to better communicate and coordinate with states to share best practices to prevent maltreatment. Bob Casey, D-Pa., one of the lawmakers who requested the GAO investigation. “Ending child abuse and maltreatment is an all-hands-on-deck effort, but too many children in residential facilities - many of whom have disabilities - are not always being treated with safety and care,” said Sen. Department of Health and Human Services work with the Department of Education to help states share information about best practices for preventing and addressing mistreatment in residential facilities. It is primarily up to state and local agencies to oversee these types of facilities, but government investigators said that they were told “states face some challenges related to data collection, training and imposing consequences and holding facilities accountable for maltreatment in these facilities.” The report found that different interpretations of what counts as maltreatment can lead facilities to report too many or too few incidents.

In addition, GAO officials held virtual discussion groups with facility administrators and former residents in various states.

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