EXETER – The state is expected to begin construction Tuesday on a much-discussed and much-needed residential treatment center for teenage girls with mental and behavioral problems.
Construction of the $45 million, 16-bed facility came at a time when a shortage of adequate beds for children in state care prompted U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha to warn Rhode Island in May that he could file a civil rights lawsuit if the state did not stop placing disabled children at Bradley Hospital.
For years, warning signals have been ringing that teenage girls are at risk
Several state lawmakers and even the presiding judge of the family court have raised the alarm about the need for more treatment places for juveniles, pointing out that Rhode Island has been sending numerous girls with complex behavioral and mental health problems out of the state for years, costing millions of dollars annually.
Family Court Chief Judge Michael B. Forte warned lawmakers at a State House hearing in 2021 that Rhode Island faces a possible gender discrimination lawsuit because the state has ignored the crisis of inadequate residential treatment for the girls in its care for years.
And Cunha called the treatment of children at Bradley Hospital “appalling.”
Investigations reveal teenagers were held at Bradley Hospital for over a year
An investigation conducted by his office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights found:
- 527 children in the care of DCYF from January 1, 2017 to September 30, 2022 who were hospitalized at Bradley Hospital for more than 100 consecutive days.
- 42 children were hospitalized for more than 180 days.
- Seven children were treated in hospital for more than a year.
Some lawmakers have criticized Gov. Dan McKee and the Department of Children, Youth and Families for not moving faster to build the Exeter treatment center. The center will include 16 beds, classrooms, a full kitchen, treatment rooms, indoor and outdoor recreation areas and support rooms for youth, staff and families.
Laura Hart, a spokeswoman for the governor, said Friday that the project at 160 Main St., Exeter, is expected to be completed in late spring 2026.
