The Arizona Department of Child Safety investigated nearly 80 licensing complaints during a two-year period against the state’s largest group home for foster children.
DCS licensing investigators looked into claims against Canyon State Academy and Desert Lily Academy in Queen Creek. The complaints ranged from sex crime allegations to verbal abuse and physical punishment, as well as improper restraint techniques.
According to the academies, they serve more than 600 youth a year as a qualified residential treatment program. Behind tall block walls, the kids live on a sprawling campus, and they attend school, activities, and therapy…