There were violent deaths, sex abuse, and other tragic outcomes at some of the foster homes overseen by the nation’s largest for-profit foster care company, National Mentor Holdings. This post is based on a BuzzFeed News investigation by Aram Roston and Jeremy Singer-Vine.

This is Stephen Merritt, one of several foster parents at Last Chance Farm in Maryland who were paid by foster care company Mentor to foster children.

Wicomico County Sheriff's Office

This is a training certificate that Mentor gave Merritt for watching the Johnny Depp movie What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Mentor

A spokesperson for National Mentor Holdings defended the training, saying movies are sometimes used to "facilitate a discussion." That the movie portrays a troubled family struggling with disabilities makes it a popular training film, she added.

Everett Collection / Paramount Pictures, 1993

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