Idaho regulators still fail to penalize youth facilities where kids are at risk

As Idaho increases its oversight of youth treatment homes, a new ombudsman said the state still isn’t penalizing facilities where kids could be at risk.

And lawmakers say they aren't satisfied with the way the state Department of Health and Welfare is investigating child abuse in those facilities.

Those updates came during a presentation Thursday, Sept. 25, nearly two years after InvestigateWest uncovered years of child abuse and neglect at Idaho youth homes that was met with little to no punishment from state regulators. The investigation found that state regulators had never revoked a youth treatment home’s license despite serious issues, including one facility where a girl was raped by a staff member. A June audit from the independent Office of Performance Evaluations echoed conce