Please Support/Co-Sponsor The Accountability for Congregate Care Act 2021!

I write to ask for your support and co-sponsorship in introducing The Accountability for Congregate Care Act of 2021. This legislation will address systemic weaknesses across multiple agencies and systems that increase reliance on congregate care and subject youth to abuse and neglect. This legislation would, for the first time, legally define child abuse and neglect in institutional settings, establish The Youth in Congregate Care Bill of Rights, and authorize annual appropriations for states to establish life-saving measures and infrastructure to help youth in these settings. By introducing and passing this bill, we can help prevent the abuse and neglect of over 120,000 youth in congregate care facilities across the U.S. and reduce the usage of congregate care overall. These youth are placed into residential placements each year through their local school district’s individualized education programs, the juvenile justice, child welfare systems, mental health providers, private parental placement and even refugee resettlement programs. The congregate care industry receives an estimated $52 billion dollars annually of public funds to “reform” youth, yet operates without meaningful oversight. The introduction of this bill will be the first step towards protecting children already disadvantaged by family separation and trauma, creating a more equitable future for all. Rep. Ro Khanna is sponsoring this bill, please contact for more info: Policy@BreakingCodeSilence.org ; Emma.Preston@mail.house.gov ; Matthew_Traylor@merkley.senate.gov