Georgia Group Home Negligence Lawyer

Group Home Negligence Attorney in Georgia

Our legal team at Ryan A. Johnson, P.C., is highly dedicated to holding group homes accountable for harm done to children in the Georgia foster care system. If you suspect that a child has been neglected, mistreated, or abused while placed in a residential facility, a Georgia group home negligence lawyer from our firm can expose these wrongs while fighting for justice.

Although group homes are supposed to provide supervision, care, and structure, they may commonly fail to meet even simple safety standards. Some may even exhibit negligent or outright hostile behavior. Children who are living in these environments can face an increased risk of exploitation, physical harm, and neglect, especially when accountability is lacking and there’s a breakdown in oversight.

A Closer Look at Georgia’s Group Homes and Runaway Rates

Recent Georgia Fostering Court Improvement statistics from April 2024 through March 2025 provide an important look into what is going on with these stability and group home placements. On the first day of the count, there were 10,971 children in the foster care system. By the last day (March 31, 2025), there were 0 children reported to be living in group homes.

While there were no children in group homes, the number of runaways was notable, which is also commonly underreported. The number of children involved in Caregiver Involved Investigations on the run was 65, and the number of Non-CII case children on the run was 28. This is a total of 93, pointing to deeper systemic issues.

A 0% group count on the last day of the reporting year does not mean that there were no group home placements at all; rather, it means that no children were remaining there as of that final date. This implies that children could have entered the group homes, cycled through, or run away from these facilities at different times during the year.

Children may choose to flee due to a lack of safety, emotional trauma, or abuse. All these conditions are commonly associated with places like group homes.

Understanding Group Home Negligence

When a residential care facility fails to live up to its duty of providing humane, adequate, and safe care to foster Georgia’s youth, group home negligence can occur. Common examples we see at Ryan A. Johnson, P.C., include:

• Bringing abusive or unqualified staff onto the team
• Failing to provide adequate supervision for children, leading to attempted or actual suicide, self-harm, assaults, or runaways
• Using coercive discipline tactics
• Allowing threats or emotional abuse to occur
• Denying children adequate medical attention, mental healthcare, or proper food
• Failing to act on or report a known instance of abuse

These issues can be made even worse by oversight failures from the state, lapses in private contracting, and even retaliation against children or entities who choose to speak up. This allows the abuse to continue and become a systemic issue.

Georgia Group Home Negligence Laws

Facilities that are contracting with the state or providing services for foster children are required to adhere to standards of care under Georgia group home negligence laws. This means they need to comply with:

• Staff training mandates
• Background checks of staff
• Licensing and compliance inspections
• Documentation
• Incident reporting
• Mandatory reporting of any evident or suspected abuse

When these standards are overlooked or ignored, children can face serious harm as a result. In such cases, civil liability could fall on the facility or its management. To hold negligent individuals accountable, our firm can use the laws to pursue compensation in group home negligence cases.

Hire a Group Home Negligence Lawyer With Proven Results

When children are harmed by institutions that are supposed to be protecting them, it’s crucial to work with someone with the required courage and experience to face the system. This is why clients in Georgia come to Ryan A. Johnson, P.C., regarding issues like group home negligence.

We can investigate the history of the facility, including its licensing and staffing practices, as well as go over DFCS placement records and any logs of complaints. Furthermore, we can interview key witnesses and review any relevant therapy or medical records. We have a strong network of social workers and child welfare professionals in Georgia, whom we work closely with to strengthen these cases.

If enough evidence comes to light, we can file claims against all the liable parties, including providers who are contracted by the state. Whether the abuse occurred over months or there was one single catastrophic incident, a group home negligence attorney can work hard to expose the truth and make sure it cannot happen again.

Time Limits Can Be Strict

It’s important to keep the time limits in mind when filing personal injury claims. In Georgia, most personal injury claims need to be filed within two years. However, if the case involves a minor, as is often the case in these situations, the requirements and deadlines can be different.

Therefore, as soon as you’re aware of any form of group home abuse or neglect, or even if you have a suspicion, it’s important not to wait to hire a group home negligence lawyer. We can quickly begin collecting crucial evidence and working to safeguard the child’s rights.

Why Choose Ryan A. Johnson, P.C.?

Our firm is led by Ryan A. Johnson, who has over a decade of experience in advocating for victims of group home abuse and neglect. He has been recognized for his leadership, earning the awards of Super Lawyers® Rising Stars and Top 100 Trial Lawyers. This aggressive and compassionate advocacy has yielded tangible results, with over $60 million recovered in settlements.

When the system has failed you or someone you know, we have the experience required to bring justice to the situation. We do not get intimidated by powerful government agencies or institutions, and we can act now.

Consult a Group Home Negligence Lawyer

If you suspect any wrongdoing in a group home, it’s crucial to act right away. Contact us today to protect the child, push for accountability, and navigate complex Georgia group home negligence laws and statutes.