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The Iowa Juvenile Home in Toledo was the last hope for some Iowa families with troubled teen girls.

These were the girls no one else could handle.

“The typical delinquent girl had over six prior placements, was 16 years old, had special education needs and a mental health diagnosis,” according to a task force examining ongoing problems at the home.

The home also accepted court-ordered children in need of assistance. Each of these kids had been neglected or abused by parents, and, on average “had over nine prior placements, was 15.3 years old, had special education needs, and had a mental health diagnosis.”

Investigative reporting by The Des Moines Register found systemic abuse in the home, including isolation cells frequently used in blatant violation of state rules. Iowa’s Department of Education found that the management of the home, particularly the excessive use of isolation cells, interfered with the girls' education instead of enhancing it. The troubles were so bad, Gov. Terry Branstad assembled a task force, then closed the home Jan. 16.

Branstad’s action set a collision course with the Legislature, which funded the home to serve teens with nowhere else to turn.