Circle of Hope Girls Ranch: Abuse in the Name of Religion?
Thanks to Donna for bringing this school to my attention. Donna has been working tirelessly on behalf of her daughter and other children in teen institutions to bring awareness to this little-known “school” in Missouri. Having aged out of the foster system, she wanted nothing but a great life for her eight children. Her husband was sent on three consecutive deployments to Iraq and her daughter started acting out. In an effort to help, she selected “Circle of Hope Girls Ranch,” a school which promised to provide a loving, Christian boarding school experience.
The following article, “Horror Stories from Tough Love Homes” by Kathryn Joyce offers an insightful look into this program and the terrifying experience that Donna and her family faced as a result.
The incredible blog, “Chuckles Travels” includes disturbing images, documents, and findings from the Circle of Hope Girls Ranch as well, including a letter from it’s founder to parents urging them to not question his motives.
Through her efforts, Donna has managed to secure a meeting with a Senator outside of her state and is currently seeking survivor stories from children who suffered abuse at the hands of a troubled teen program. She can be reached at declutterbuddy(at)aol(dot)com. Stories can also be posted as comments to this post.
Thank you, Donna – without people like you, we’d be one step further from fighting this abusive system.