Foster care and group homes
Harm by foster parents, other residents, staff, visitors, case-connected adults, or people responsible for supervision, placement, transportation, or basic care.
In care abuse guide
Find a safer path after abuse in a care, custody, or treatment setting.
This guide is for people looking for support after sexual abuse, harassment, assault, neglect, retaliation, or physical abuse connected to foster care, juvenile detention, group homes, residential facilities, medical care, therapy, or caregiving.
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In care resource guide
Where this can happen
Abuse in care often involves a power imbalance.
When someone is in custody, treatment, housing, supervised care, or dependent on another person for basic needs, it can be harder to report, leave, or know who to trust. The right resource depends on the setting, age, safety risk, and records available.
Juvenile detention and facilities
Sexual abuse, harassment, retaliation, or physical abuse involving staff, contractors, officers, medical staff, other detained youth, or facility leadership.
Medical, therapy, and caregiving
Abuse by a nurse, doctor, therapist, aide, counselor, caregiver, residential staff member, or provider who had access, authority, or privacy with the person harmed.
Patterns
It may involve threats, isolation, grooming, or control.
Many people delay asking for help because the person involved had authority, controlled access to services, or made the abuse feel impossible to prove. That does not mean your concern is not real.
Access to housing, care, records, or privileges
The person may have controlled placement, medication, transportation, visitation, treatment, privileges, discipline, discharge, or daily care.
Private rooms, rides, appointments, or checks
Abuse can occur when someone creates private access, separates a person from others, or uses normal care routines as cover.
Fear of punishment or disbelief
People may worry about losing services, getting written up, being moved, being blamed, or not being believed by people in charge.
Systems leave paperwork
Facility logs, medical records, case notes, grievances, incident reports, discharge papers, schedules, and messages may help clarify what happened.
Checklist
What to document if it is safe.
Start with what you remember. Even rough notes can help an advocate or support provider understand the setting and narrow the right resources.
Core details
- Facility, home, provider, agency, or program name
- Dates, times, locations, rooms, units, or appointment details
- Names, titles, shifts, badge numbers, or roles
- Who was told and how they responded
- Any witnesses or people you spoke with afterward
Records to look for
- Incident reports, grievances, case notes, or discharge papers
- Medical, therapy, or treatment records
- Text messages, calls, emails, photos, or screenshots
- Placement records, schedules, visit logs, or transportation logs
- Changes after disclosure, complaint, or refusal
Safety basics
- Use a safe phone or email if monitoring is a concern
- Call 911 if there is immediate danger
- Avoid confronting the person alone
- Write down safe times and ways to be contacted
- Ask whether a resource can speak confidentially
Next steps
Match the next step to the setting.
If you need to talk through what happened
Hotlines and local advocacy programs can help with safety planning, emotional support, and deciding whether to report.
View hotlinesIf an agency, facility, or provider was involved
The best route can depend on whether the setting involved child welfare, juvenile detention, medical care, residential care, or another system.
Find SupportIf power, custody, or negligence may matter
A rights resource can help you understand what documents may matter and what deadlines or privacy issues could exist.
View rights resourcesIf you need counseling or medical support
Trauma-informed counseling and health care can help after abuse even when you are not ready to make a formal report.
View counseling resourcesRelated reading
In care abuse articles
Foster Care and Group Home Sexual Abuse
Support options after abuse in a foster home, group home, or residential placement.
Sexual Abuse in Juvenile Detention Facilities
What families and survivors may need to know about facility abuse.
Can a Government Facility Be Responsible?
FAQ guidance for abuse connected to public facilities or custody settings.
FAQ
Common in care questions
What if the abuse happened years ago?
You can still ask for help understanding what resources may fit. Time can matter for some options, but support, counseling, records questions, and safety planning may still be available.
What if the person harmed was a minor?
Care settings involving children and teens can require special safety, reporting, records, and support considerations. Use a safe contact method and call 911 if there is immediate danger.
What if I am not sure whether it was abuse?
You do not need perfect language before asking questions. A support resource can help you sort through what happened without forcing a label too early.