FIVE OAKS RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER CLOSING
The owners of the Five Oaks Residential Treatment Center in New Ulm have agreed to surrender the license and close the facility. State Senator Lois Kolkhorst sent out a email this (Tuesday) afternoon stating that Five Oaks will cease operation after all of the residents have been transferred to other caregivers. The facility has been the source of numerous conflicts with the surrounding community and the Austin County Sheriff’s Office. In January of last year, a runaway from Five Oaks set fire to a nearby home, completely destroying it.
In her press release, Senator Kolkhorst says that she held a town hall meeting in New Ulm in March of last year. At that meeting, members of the community expressed their concerns to state health officials. Kolkhorst says that she then asked state officials to investigate Five Oaks and after months of careful scrutiny by the Health and Human Services Commission the owners agreed to surrender the license.
Full Press Release:
February 12, 2019
"In March of 2018, my office hosted a town hall meeting in New Ulm with state health officials to discuss public concerns with the Five Oaks residential treatment center. Participants at the meeting spoke of repeated conflicts between the facility and the community, and we listened. I then asked state officials to investigate Five Oaks and after months of careful scrutiny by the Health and Human Services Commission, the owners and operators of Five Oaks have now surrendered their license, and Five Oaks will cease operations after every child is transferred to other caregivers. As the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, I am dedicated to improving our CPS and foster care system and seeing that it does not fail either our children or our communities. That's why today I have filed SB 781 which will vastly improve how residential treatments centers such as Five Oaks are created, licensed, and operated."
WOW! Are you guys so smart to think closing the facility will solve the problem. These troubled teens are housed in facilities such as Five Oaks for a reason. Wherever they go they will be troubled teens. If, by chance, they are placed into group homes – there are several in Brenham and neighboring towns those facilities, be mindful of the fact that those facilities will have significantly less supervision because the troubled teens will have more freedom.
#notsosmartpeople
I don’t understand all the problems all the fuss all the worries all everything else maybe if the citizens of Brenham fought to keep our taxes lower then what we have to pay for property tax we all would be so much better off but instead everybody tries to prevent children that were abused and neglected and sex traffic away from the area! God forbid if it ever happens to one of your family members
Every county has troubled youth & every county should have a facility to deal with such. No county, Austin, Washington, or any other should be expected to house a share of troubled youth disproportionate to the local population. That many of these kids have problems, sad as that is, is not the fault of Austin, Washington county citizens. I see several problems (1) Lousy parents: Although some troubled kids come from good homes, a disproportionate number do not. (2) Lack of any discipline in these kids lives. Almost 100% of troubled kids never experience any real discipline, never are held accountable. Excuse makers lurk behind every door. “Don’t do that again Sally”, doesn’t get the job done. (3) Profit. Five Oaks is a perfect example of what happens when a profit making entity takes over a task that belongs to the state. Short cuts are taken to increase profits. Those kept in the facility end up doing what they please, usually with out ever being held accountable in any meaningful way. The facility owner pockets the profits. The neighbors pay the price. If the state continues to farm out their responsibility, the least they can do is to assure the owners are held both criminally and financially accountable. Like every other situation, money talks. Lawsuits should be more than a slap on the wrist, not limited to an amount that makes a judgement “just another cost of doing business”.
There is no doubt these victimized children need excellent care and all citizens should share this responsibility. The state decided some time ago they no longer wanted the expense of their direct care. It was an opportunity for corporate enterprises, and our public servants were lobbied well for favor. The result, loose regulations for these facilities which ended with school districts and county residents paying support with the state AND local taxes they dutifully pay. Now we would acknowledge the investors in these facilities should achieve a reasonable profit. This facility and hundreds of others in similar circumstances are paid an average of $8,000 per child per month. And the property tax payers of Washington county pay to send them a teacher and the support personnel for disadvantaged students. Now I am not a math whiz, but for 6 students at $8,000 per month is $576,000 per year. That is only 6 students. I can send my grandchild to one of the finer boarding schools in the country for $8,000 per month. What’s wrong with this picture?
There is also Miracle Farm in the Sandy Hill area that homes troubled boys and they have had issues of these teens running away but no one says anything about this. So lets just give this place a chance.. there needs to be places where these kids can go.
I would like to know what is being done to ensure those same troubled youth are not going to be housed at the new business in Brenham? What is going to be done to ensure that we are safe from the same sort of criminal conduct that came out of Five Oaks? What is going to be done to ensure that our school system is not having to bear the full burden and cost of educating those students while this business makes money for it’s “investors”.
Awesome news!! Thank you from my family who live in western Austin County . We have lived in fear for years . There are better places to keep these kids closer to their homes in Houston . I’m so grateful somebody fixed this mess. Lois we love you!!!
The Brenham facility is licensed to accept a different classification of youth from the children at Five Oaks. The Brenham facility is set to accept solely females who have been victims of sexual trafficking, that is info from what a person who interviewed for a job there. The Brenham facility is not going to be housing any of the Five Oaks children.
I’m not sure if that’s any better! So are they gonna have a meet and greet or keep it hush hush like Brenham ISD does to the troubled kids that constantly distract other students! This type of facility looks like a smaller version of a boot camp for kids and in my opinion these female victims if Franklin is correct on her findings need more space and activities to do not be locked up in a iron fence! That’s almost just as bad as being held hostage but I guess atleast Walmart is close so they can walk to get groceries or stop at K & M for a cold beverage.
If you’ve seen any documentaries about this type of behavior in kids, adults I agree they do need help but in a structured facility not on a public highway and most are illegal brought or smuggled in from other countries to be working slaves! It’s just a setup for disaster for the community but someone benefits greatly while others just sit back and wait to read more bad news for Brenham.
Good luck to all!
Thank you Senator Kolkhorst. As a member of the Austin County Sheriffs Office, I welcome the closing of Five Oaks. It has been a constant struggle with staff and residents from Five Oaks. Many thanks.
Because you all don’t know the business and the need for these type facilities, you judge. Oh but you must understand that these children will become adults that are still traumatized by the events that put them in these facilities and in and out of Psych hospitals in the first place.
Now we know who will be the new residents of the one in Brenham now.
Looks like all the troubled youth from that facility will now be our new neighbors!
Not true. None of the Five Oaks youths are coming to Brenham facility according to one of the Brenham owners I talked to.
Do we believe them?
There has always been trouble teens and adults in Brenham! You really could’ve kept that comment. Thank you Bluebonnet Haven for not giving up on God’s children! Keep doing what you are doing!