DOJ: Florida Improperly Placing Disabled Kids in Nursing Homes

The Justice Department says the move is unnecessary and violates the Americans with Disabilities Act

A civil rights investigation by the Justice Department charges that the State of Florida has been unnecessarily institutionalizing hundreds of children by placing children with disabilities in nursing facilities designed for elderly patients in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"Hundreds of children are currently segregated in nursing facilities throughout Florida. They are growing up apart from their families in hospital-like settings, among elderly nursing facility residents and other individuals with disabilities," said a Sept. 4, 2012 letter from Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez to Florida Attorney General Pamela Bondi.