- Vista Maria will close a treatment program for young girls in December, laying off roughly 150 staff and transferring girls
- Officials contend state regulations are too broad and the needs of children too great. Some former residents allege mistreatment
- Experts fear similar facilities could close too, further eroding services for at-risk youth in Michigan
What had been one of Michigan’s largest treatment centers for troubled girls is slated to close, with facility officials blaming overzealous state regulations but a handful of former residents alleging mistreatment.
The planned December closure of Vista Maria in Dearborn Heights marks another loss for critical services in a state with shrinking rehabilitative options for at-risk youth, according to advocates.
And the facility’s CEO warns it could be a harbinger of things to come for similar facilities across Michigan…