Following the death of a 12-year-old New York boy, authorities in North Carolina have decided to remove all children from a natural therapy program for children.
The state Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that it would remove all children from Trails Carolina and halt all new admissions.
“While the investigation is ongoing and we cannot comment on specific details, it has been determined that steps must be taken to ensure the health and safety of the children,” the agency said in a news release.
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Officials said the parents were notified of the decision by health officials and the children will be placed in the temporary custody of the Transylvania County Department of Social Services. Health officials did not say how many children were removed from the program.
In a letter from the state Department of Health and Human Services to Trails Carolina, the agency said the suspension of new admissions will continue until April 14.
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“The Secretary has determined that the nature and extent of the conditions at Trails Carolina are detrimental to the health and safety of the children in its care,” Chief Deputy Mark Benton wrote.
Following the move by state health officials, Trails Carolina said parents are “feeling threatened” to pick up their children, FOX Carolina reported.
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“The children were receiving advanced clinical care for complex mental health diagnoses that required experienced professionals with thorough knowledge of important medications and specialized treatments. , it will take several weeks to find and match children with alternative programs,” the organization said in a statement. . “This negligent and reckless action by the state deprived parents of the opportunity to continue caring for their children in an appropriate manner. 100% of parents did not want their children to leave the program.”
The Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office executed two search warrants as part of an investigation into the boy’s death within 24 hours of enrolling in a nature program. The warrant includes an affidavit that describes the shocking scene that first responders encountered when they arrived on February 2nd.
Authorities said the boy was lying on his back on the bed for CPR. The warrant states his knees were bent, his arms were over his chest and his body was “cold to the touch.” Detectives also noted discoloration of the boy’s skin and possible bruising near his eyes.
Camp counselors told detectives they didn’t know why the boy wasn’t wearing pants or underwear.
“Once you roll over, [the boy] “He began foaming at the mouth, indicating that he may have ingested some type of poison,” the warrant states.
Authorities said Trails Carolina was “not fully cooperating” with the investigation. The group previously told Fox News Digital that the warrant contained misleading statements.
“Out of respect for the family and the ongoing investigation, there are certain details that we will not discuss at this time,” the organization said. “The children were removed from the area not to avoid investigators, but to prevent them from seeing what was happening. It is a mental health facility that treats children who have undergone medical examinations. If we had not removed the children from the area, it would have negatively affected their mental state.”
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
Original article source: North Carolina health officials remove children from troubled health therapy camp
