PHOENIX — After state regulators forced the closure of her group homes, the CEO of We Care Homes tells ABC15 she has “high standards,” and she was not negligent in caring for foster kids.
Veronica Johnson’s company operated four foster care group homes in south Phoenix for 10 years. Her license allowed her to provide residential care for boys and girls from 5 to 17 years old.
“I can identify with those kids that lived hardcore lives, and I can talk to them and tell them how we can change it,” Johnson said. “We try to tolerate, and we try to work with the behaviors so that they don't get moved around.”
On May 8, the Arizona Department of Child Safety issued a stop-work order and removed all 18 children living in those facilities. DCS declined to renew We Care Homes’ contract, which expired May 31.
ABC15 asked DCS for records documenting the company’s regulatory history. The agency provided investigation closure letters dating back to November 2024. The letters detail 27 complaints.
In most cases, investigators could not validate or refute the allegations, but four complaints were validated or listed as a concern, including:
- Lack of Food: A staff member denied a youth food. That employee no longer works for the company.
- Unsupervised children: After walking home from school on a hot September day, the children were described as “sweaty and red” while waiting about 20 minutes outside for staff.
- Injuries and reporting: Staff did not follow incident reporting rules after an allegation that a child had a broken arm and was not receiving medical attention.
- Substance abuse: DCS noted a concern after a youth appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or another substance in the home.
In early May, whistleblowers first shared their concerns with ABC15.
Jowharah Hall, from Beacon Compliance and Consulting Corporation, worked with We Care Homes to address some of the DCS’s concerns in April.
“Children complaining of being hungry; children complaining that they're being mistreated,” Hall said. “They hate it there. That's heartbreaking.”
Jada Green, who said she did some work inside the houses, said, “Some nights I didn't sleep because I'm concerned about these children.”
Weeks after our interviews, Hall and Green tell ABC15 they stand by their statements, even as Johnson is now pushing back.
“We were so misrepresent[ed] by the two ladies that you interviewed,” Johnson said.
In June, Johnson invited ABC15 into one of the former group homes to show the conditions.
“It was not that we were negligent, and we were just abusing kids, and I created a bad environment,” Johnson said.
In response to concerns about staff members providing nutritious food for the kids, Johnson replied, “I tell them you got to buy what's on the menu. Sometimes they buy it, and it don't make it to my house.” To remedy the issue, Johnson said she required employees to take pictures of the grocery purchases.
In reference to the youth who seemed to be under the influence, Johnson said, “He came into our agency on drugs.”
Johnson brought supporters to the ABC15 interview. She said the group included We Care Homes employees, community members, former foster children, and a parent.
“She's taken care of my kids when I couldn't take care of them,” mother Melissa Moreno said. Moreno added that her son “came back a gentleman.”
“She kind of kicked my butt, in the way, to be good,” Steven Quintero said. As a child, he said he lived in a home managed by Johnson and later became a We Care Homes employee.
“We always go to church on Sundays,” Quintero said.
When ABC15 asked Johnson about the care kids received in the last year, Johnson responded, “I have a high standard. Am I pleased with my staff and what they gave me? Absolutely not.”
Addressing accountability, Johnson said, “I'm responsible to DCS.”
After the stop-work order in May, DCS asked We Care Homes to submit a corrective action plan. Three weeks later, DCS sent a second letter calling the company’s action plan “unsatisfactory,” and the “proposed timeline” was “not sufficient to remedy the serious issues.”
Johnson described her response to losing the DCS group home contract as “no argument, no questions.”
Johnson said now she must focus on her own health issues.
“If I didn't have cancer, I'd go through the fight,” Johnson said. “I'd fix everything.”
Even though her group home contract was not renewed, Johnson still has a contract with DCS to provide supervised visitation services for parents of children in state custody.
You can reach ABC15 Senior Investigator Melissa Blasius by email at melissa.blasius@abc15.com or call 602-803-2506. Follow her on X @MelissaBlasius or Facebook.
