We Care Homes abuse, negligence, and exploitation of both children and staff. Phoenix Arizona

I am writing to you as a former employee of We Care Homes, LLC, with a heavy heart and profound urgency. I feel morally compelled to report alarming and potentially criminal practices that I personally witnessed within this organization. We Care Homes operates group homes and a DCS Supervision/Visitation Center for vulnerable children in the state’s care. What I have seen there is beyond horrifying – it represents a pervasive pattern of abuse, negligence, and exploitation of both children and staff. These issues have been ongoing for years, enabled by management’s efforts to manipulate oversight systems since the company’s founding in 2015, despite repeated deficiencies that are (or should be) well known to state authorities. I beg you to treat this matter with the immediacy it deserves, as children’s safety and lives are at stake.

First and foremost, I must highlight the most egregious violation: We Care Homes currently employs two individuals, Josiah King and Chancee Johnson, who have substantiated allegations of sexual abuse against children. These two are reportedly listed on the DCS Central Registry for child abuse – meaning the state found credible evidence of their involvement in abuse. By law and basic human decency, they should be nowhere near children. Yet, incredibly, they continue to work directly with the youth in our care and even receive regular paychecks as if they were in good standing. Management is fully aware of their status. In fact, Chancee Johnson shares the same last name as our owner (Veronica Johnson) and is believed to be a relative, which may be why these rules were bent. The decision to keep these individuals employed defies all regulations and places every child in direct danger. I am outraged and heartbroken that the very place meant to protect traumatized children has instead given known abusers continued access to them. This is an unconscionable breach of trust and safety. It feels like a ticking time bomb for further abuse, if it hasn’t happened already.

Tragically, the sexual abuse risk is just one part of a larger pattern of negligence and abuse at We Care Homes. During my tenure, I witnessed numerous incidents that underscore how children are being actively harmed or placed in harm’s way by the very people paid to care for them. Some examples of these appalling practices include:

Children allowed to fight and hurt each other while staff ignore or even encourage it: It was common to see children get into physical altercations in our group homes, and staff often stood by without intervening. In some cases, staff members actually pulled out their phones and recorded the fights instead of stopping them. I will never forget seeing two young boys pummeling each other on the floor while a staffer laughed and filmed the scene, presumably to share with others later. The children under our care often already have emotional and behavioral challenges, yet instead of receiving guidance and protection, they are effectively allowed to brutalize one another for entertainment. I have seen children emerge from these brawls with bruises, scratches, and bloody injuries while staff either shrugged it off or treated it as a joke. This complete lack of empathy and responsibility from the caregivers is absolutely chilling.

Dangerous incidents during transportation (children improperly restrained and staff filming fights in a vehicle): On one van trip, I personally witnessed Josiah King driving a vehicle full of children who were not properly buckled in or restrained. As he drove, some of the kids in the back began to fight – yelling, hitting, and even climbing over seats. Instead of intervening, the only other staff member present turned around with her phone and started recording video of the chaos. I was in the vehicle and was utterly terrified for the children’s safety. Not only were they at risk from the fighting itself, but if there had been a sudden stop or an accident, those children could have been seriously injured or killed because they were effectively treated like cargo rather than precious lives. This incident was reported internally, yet nothing happened – Josiah continued to drive children, and that staffer faced no consequences for her outrageous behavior. It’s as if such incidents are simply business as usual at We Care Homes.

Chronic understaffing and negligent supervision due to management’s refusal to pay employees: We Care Homes is severely understaffed, and this is entirely a self-inflicted problem by the owner. The management routinely refuses to pay employees on time or at all, which has led to an exodus of qualified staff. I, along with many colleagues, experienced having hours of work go unpaid or paychecks withheld. (In one case, I had to practically beg and threaten legal action just to get the wages I was owed.) Many staff members quit in disgust after weeks of not being paid, and who could blame them? Those of us who stayed were left to cover multiple shifts, caring for far too many children with far too few hands. Understaffing in a group home is deadly serious: it means one person might be trying to watch over a dozen troubled youths alone, or that children are left unsupervised for long stretches because a staffer is tied up dealing with another child’s crisis. I have seen first-hand that this lack of adequate supervision directly leads to the fights and abuses I described. Overworked, unpaid, and demoralized staff are simply unable to maintain safety or order – and some stop caring altogether. The children suffer the most from this. They go without needed attention, guidance, or even basic protection because there literally aren’t enough adults present. It is pure negligence on the part of management to let staffing levels become so dangerously low, all because the owner wants to pad her own pockets instead of paying her employees.

Fraudulent and exploitive financial practices by the owner (enriching herself and her family while neglecting payroll and resources for kids): I want to be very clear that the understaffing and unpaid wages are not due to lack of funds – it’s due to greed and possible fraud. The owner of We Care Homes, Veronica Johnson, and her family are siphoning off significant resources for their personal use. It is common knowledge among employees that company money goes towards Veronica’s luxury expenses. For instance, during my time at the company I saw Veronica and her relatives drive brand-new high-end vehicles (the kind far out of reach for someone on a non-profit or childcare salary). The company also rented upscale homes in expensive neighborhoods for the owner’s personal use. Meanwhile, we didn’t have enough money for basic supplies for the kids or to pay overtime for staff. This kind of spending strongly suggests that Veronica is diverting state funds (which are meant for child welfare services) into her own family’s wealth. It’s effectively fraud and embezzlement, in addition to being morally reprehensible. She was literally putting her luxury lifestyle above the basic needs and safety of abused and neglected children. I also suspect falsification of records: for example, hours that staff actually worked (but weren’t paid for) might still be billed to the state or included in budgets. The financial mismanagement at We Care Homes is intricately tied to the safety issues – money that should ensure proper staffing, training, and child resources is instead spent on Veronica’s personal indulgences. This cannot be allowed to continue unchecked.

Neglect of duty at the DCS Supervision/Visitation Center (staff failing to follow safety plans): We Care Homes also runs a DCS-supervised visitation program, where parents with a history of abuse/neglect have visits with their children under monitored conditions. These visits are supposed to follow strict safety plans provided by DCS or the courts, to ensure the child remains safe during contact with their parent. Shockingly, our staff frequently ignore or violate these safety protocols. I have observed visitation sessions where staff were distracted, texting on their phones, or even leaving the room, while the parent and child were still interacting. In one case, a father who had a known history of violent behavior was left essentially unsupervised with his young son for several minutes because the staffer stepped outside to take a personal call. Anything could have happened in that time – it is only by luck that the child was not harmed. On paper, we likely report that “visitation occurred without incident,” but the truth is that we’re failing to actively supervise as required. This is a direct violation of the safety plan and DCS trust. If a tragedy hasn’t occurred yet during a supervised visit, I fear it is only a matter of time if this lax attitude persists. We are betraying the trust of these children and the state by not even fulfilling the basic mandate of supervision in what are often tense, emotionally charged visitations. This negligence is just as dangerous as any physical abuse because it creates the opportunity for abuse to happen under our watch.

The above points illustrate a culture of utter disregard for the welfare of children at We Care Homes. These are not isolated incidents or a few bad employees – this is a systemic issue, stemming from the very top (the owner and management) and permeating every level of the organization. What’s even more infuriating is that this pattern has gone on for years, largely unchecked. We Care Homes was founded in 2015, and since then it has somehow skirted serious consequences despite numerous red flags and documented deficiencies. I know for a fact that state licensing and oversight agencies have cited We Care Homes for various violations in the past. Yet the company has always managed to “fix” just enough to get past inspections or quiet down complaints, only to revert back to abusive practices as soon as the spotlight fades. It appears that Veronica Johnson and her inner circle are adept at manipulating oversight systems. They often cover up or hide violations when they know inspectors are coming. (In fact, it is an open secret among staff that some of Veronica’s own family members employed by the company – including at least one of her daughters – have been directly involved in whitewashing records and coaching staff to lie to state officials.) The result is that We Care Homes has been allowed to continue operating despite failing the very children it’s supposed to care for, time and time again. This long-standing evasion of accountability has emboldened management to think they are untouchable, that they can continue business as usual and no one will stop them.

I am pleading with you to prove them wrong. The situation at We Care Homes has become untenable and downright dangerous, and it demands immediate intervention from a higher authority such as your office. I urge the Office of Inspector General to initiate a full and urgent investigation into We Care Homes, LLC. Specifically, I ask that you look into revoking their license to operate and terminating any state contracts they currently hold, pending the outcome of this investigation. At minimum, operations should be suspended while investigators confirm the facts I’ve described. Frankly, each day that this organization is allowed to care for children is a day those children are in peril.

In such an investigation, there are several critical points that need scrutiny: verify the employment and background status of Josiah King and Chancee Johnson (their Central Registry listings should be on file); interview current and former staff about the fighting incidents and lack of supervision (many of us are witnesses to these events and I believe others will be willing to speak if assured protection); review internal records or finances to uncover the fraudulent spending and unpaid wages (the paper trail of missing payroll and lavish expenses will be telling); and inspect the visitation program practices against what’s required by DCS safety plans (perhaps even perform unannounced observations). I am confident that any thorough review will corroborate what I am stating – because this is the truth of what’s happening every day at We Care Homes. The evidence is there, hidden in plain sight, and in the testimonies of those of us who could no longer stomach witnessing children being treated this way.

I want to stress that I do not make these accusations lightly. Coming forward like this is frankly one of the hardest things I have ever done. I loved working with the kids – they are innocent and resilient, and they deserve so much better than what We Care Homes is giving them. I am haunted by guilt that I couldn’t protect them while I was there, which is why I refuse to remain silent now. I am putting my trust in your office to act swiftly and decisively. If no action is taken, or if this letter is ignored, I will have no choice but to escalate my concerns to the media and public advocacy groups. I am prepared to speak with journalists, law enforcement, and anyone who will listen, because I truly believe children’s lives and well-being hang in the balance. I would much prefer, however, that the responsible authorities handle this properly and immediately, sparing those children any further harm.

Ms.........., I appeal to your sense of duty and justice. You have the power to stop a terrible injustice and prevent future tragedies. Please, do not let We Care Homes continue to get away with exploiting and endangering children. Every day that passes without intervention is another day a child might be abused, injured, or irreparably traumatized under that organization’s watch. The state of Arizona has entrusted We Care Homes with some of its most vulnerable youth – children who have already been through hell in their young lives. To discover that their “safe home” is actually a place of further abuse is nothing short of a nightmare. We owe it to them to put an end to this.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I am available to cooperate fully with any investigation. You may contact me at any time for more information, and I can provide names of other witnesses and any documentation I have retained. I truly hope and pray that by sounding this alarm, I am helping to make these children safe at last. They have been failed by so many adults already – please let us not fail them again.