Summary of Abuses at Valley of the Moon Children's Home

Summary

 Valley of the Moon Children's Home is a temporary shelter for kids who have been removed from their homes due to abusive family members. This shelter's existence has resulted in systematic abuse and wasteful spending because of failed oversight.

 

Abuse Types

Physical abuse

·         610 unjustifiable restraints in 5 years

·         41 Injuries resulting from restraints

      Denied bathroom and forced to soil themselves

Sexual Abuse

·         Strip searches

·         Direct sexual abuse accusations

·         Pedophile confessions

Emotional Abuse

·         Isolation from family and friends

·         Coercion

·         Retaliation

·         Insults and degradation

Locked in Rooms and Facility

·         Mechanical locks

·         False imprisonment

Financial Abuse

·         Money and belongings taken

Educational Abuses

·         Onsite school is both illegal and unhelpful

Failed Oversight and Reform

Community Care Licensing

·         Approved incomplete and abusive program statement

·         No or limited investigations of abuse complaints

·         Ignored abuse confessions

·         Failed to adequately review incident reports

Sonoma County and Valley of the Moon Children’s Home

·         At least 5 major revamps of practices

·         Abusive policies written by high level Sonoma County Department of Human Services members

·         Employees must become whistleblowers against their employer (Sonoma County), and their own interests, in order to report abuses against foster children.

¨        Many mandated reporters which foster children interact with are employed by the county.

¨        Children have limited access to outside mandated reporters.

 

The pervasive, system-wide problems at Valley of the Moon Children’s Home are not a matter of a few bad apples. No amount of reform can fix this shelter.  Reallocating resources to finding foster homes instead of funding Valley of the Moon Children’s Home would net better results at a much lower cost.