TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Federal certification has been stripped from key parts of two state facilities serving people with developmental and intellectual disabilities because of failures to meet care standards for residents.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued written notices Tuesday saying struggling portions of Rainier School in Buckley and Fircrest School in Shoreline did not pass several tests in the last two years to determine if treatment and staffing is adequate, the News Tribune reported Wednesday .
The federal ruling does not mean the closure of the schools. The state plans to appeal the CMS decision and negotiate an improvement plan with the federal government.
In recent years, the state’s residential habilitation centers have dealt with allegations of sexual assault, choking deaths and other problems in recent years.