Letter to the editor: We need accountability for ‘troubled teen’ programs

The ongoing issues regarding camps or school programs for “troubled teens” have still not been resolved. For those who may not know, these programs are meant to treat kids and teens who are showing patterns of poor behavior, or any behavior their parents don’t like. Often, though, there have been reports of abuse at these facilities. As of 2021, new laws were passed to help regulate how children are being treated while at these establishments. However, according to some sources, there has not been proper regulation in making sure that these facilities are treating the clients well and abiding by the new rules put in place.
In my opinion, there should be more policies in place to prevent the abuse of minors. One idea is the Accountability for Congregate Care Act. This is a proposed act on the federal level to ensure the well-being of minors in facilities such as this. It would allow the federal government to get involved if abuse is happening, which might be more of an incentive for this industry to care for their clients. This is one example of a policy I believe would be helpful for this issue.
Savanna Maloy
Salt Lake City