Paris Hilton testifies on Capitol Hill about devastating experience in youth rehab

Thank you, Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Neil, and members of the committee. I appreciate the opportunity to be here today to discuss how to improve care for the nearly 400,000 children that they're living in the foster care system as we speak. While my experience was not through the foster care system, I know from personal experience the harm that is caused by being placed in youth residential treatment facilities. When I was 16 years old, I was ripped from my bed in the middle of the night and transported across state lines to the first of four youth residential treatment facilities. These programs promised healing, growth, and support, but instead did not allow me to speak, move freely, or even look out a window. For two years, I was forced, fed medications, and sexually abused by the staff. I was violently restrained and dragged down hallways, stripped naked and thrown into solitary confinement. My parents were completely deceived, lied to, and manipulated by this for profit industry about the inhumane treatment I was experiencing. So can you only imagine the experience for youth who are placed by the state and don't have people regularly checking in on them? I attended facilities with Foster and adopted youth and I heard their testimony that they feel like they were forgotten being shipped from facility to facility their whole childhoods. Today residential facilities are continuing to warehouse over 50,000 foster youth and unknown number of adopted youth in lockdown facilities. Innocent kids who have not committed crimes. Kids whose parents didn't have resources to support them. Kids whose parents passed away. Kids who have already experienced trauma. This $23 billion a year industry sees this population as dollar signs and operates without meaningful oversight. It costs approximately $800 to $1000 per day to place a foster youth in a facility significantly more expensive than serving them in their own communities. What is more important, protecting business profits or protecting foster youth lives? 16 year old Cornelius Fredericks was placed in a facility because his mom tragically died and his dad was in prison. His life ended after being tackled and violently restrained by 8 staff members for nearly 10 minutes. After innocently throwing a sandwich in the cafeteria. They killed him on the floor of the lunchroom in front of dozens of other children. Emergency services have been called 300 times in the year leading up to his death, with 56 violations substantiated by the state. The state could have prevented this. Just young. Terry's life ended at just seven years old. In his final hours, he was publicly shamed, verbally abused, left in his room alone for nearly six hours and physically restrained by staff members until he lost consciousness. When first responders arrived, there was vomit in his mouth and throat, running down his cheeks and onto the floor. Why can't we as a society see that these kids are hurting? They need love and kindness, not beatings and restraints. As a mom, these stories break my heart. When your child is born, your heart is full of love of all hopes and dreams you have for them. I assure you that these were not the dreams that were envisioned for Cornelius, Jacion and thousands more who have suffered immensely. I'm here to be the voice for the children whose voices can't be heard. While this committee has the responsibility to move bipartisan solutions forward to protect them, I strongly advocate for the reauthorization of Title 4B. Families need resources and support so they don't need to come into the child welfare system in the 1st place. For children who do end up in foster care, we cannot allow them to grow up in facilities. The treatment these kids have had to endure is criminal. These kids deserve to grow up in safe, family centered environments. I will not stop until America's youth is safe. I've helped pass nine state laws on this issue. I am strongly advocating for the federal bipartisan Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act. I supported the Senate Finance Committee report Warehouses of Neglect that validates everything those with lived experience have been saying. And I recently went to Jamaica to support and find appropriate placements for American adopted youth who have been raped, waterboarded with a hose, and held in solitary confinement in a facility internationally. Their parents had adopted them when they were young, promised them a better life, and then shipped them off to an international facility to be warehoused there until they turned 18. How could we let this happen to them? Progress isn't an option anymore. It's a life or death responsibility. If you are a child in the system, hear my words. I see you, I believe you. I know what you're going through and I won't give up on you. You are important, your future is important, and you deserve every opportunity to be safe and supportive. Congress, please join me in creating a world where all children have a right to family, love, education, and the support they need. Thank you for your time, and I'm happy to answer any of your questions. Thank you, Miss Hilton.