Citing staffing shortages, Oaks Integrated Care is closing five group homes that serve youth and young adults with developmental disabilities. Other issues at the homes led to the closure of two in 2021.
Johanna Palestini Burke, seen here with her son, Aiden, at his group home in October 2021. The operator of his his home located in Sicklerville, Oaks Integrated, LLC, announced it was closing four group homes in late 2021.For a young man with autism, bipolar depression and handful of other medical conditions that require constant monitoring, 18-year-old Aidan Burke is always smiling, his mother says.
Oaks Integrated Care intends to close five group homes in south Jersey serving 24 children and young adults with developmental disabilities, “due to staffing challenges faced by our agency,” Oaks spokeswoman Denise Soto wrote in an email. “Aidan will absolutely regress in all his behaviors and accomplishments he has made to date,” she said.
“The job can be physically and emotionally demanding. You need the right motivation, energy and skill set. And maybe after a few years, they move on,” Buchanan said.“Our immediate reaction was sadness for the children themselves. Their lives and routines – everything going on in their day – their whole world will be turned upside down again,” Buchanan said. “Families are in crisis prior to a placement like this.
At the time of the Perkins home closure, local police and the state Children and Families department were investigating report ofin May. Edgewater Police did not respond to a call and email seeking comment on the status of the investigation. The state declined to comment.
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