02/21/2025
Today, Alan Mortensen testified before the Utah Senate Judiciary Committee in support of Senate Bill 297, a critical piece of legislation that will bring long-overdue oversight and accountability to congregate care programs in Utah.
🔹 What Does S.B. 297 Do?
- Creates the Congregate Care Admissions Committee to establish minimum safety requirements and approve admissions criteria for these facilities.
- Establishes a Congregate Care Ombudsman to investigate complaints and protect children’s rights inside these programs.
- Mandates access to phone calls for children and requires parental notification when a child is in crisis.
- Strengthens licensing requirements and prohibits individuals under investigation for sexual misconduct from working in these facilities.
-Ensures children have access to clergy, family visits, and oversight, just like they would in the juvenile justice system, where they are guaranteed due process, an attorney, a judge, and a guardian ad litem—basic rights often denied in private congregate care facilities.
-Provides whistleblower protections for staff who report abuse or neglect.
⚖️ Why It Matters
Too many children in Utah’s congregate care system have suffered neglect, abuse, and even death—without access to legal representation, family contact, or proper medical care. In the past three years alone, two children died in these facilities after their serious health concerns were ignored. They had no one to turn to, no way to call for help, and no protections under the law.
❌ Right now, a child in juvenile detention has more legal rights and safeguards than a child in private congregate care. That is unacceptable. S.B. 297 ensures that no child in Utah is left without protection, advocacy, or oversight. 📢 Contact your legislators and tell them to vote YES on S.B. 297!
