Vista Maria - Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Christina M.

I’ve been involved with them for around 5 years. In the recent months I’ve had nothing but major problems. A new foster worker monthly, and adoption workers are being caught in lies. Feel as I can’t trust this place anymore after 5 years. Which is really sad. A child’s life is in its hands not toys. Wondering how to contact the main director at this point.

Abigail C.

I was a girl at vista Maria. I was in Beata hall. I can honestly say there are staff there when I was there that cared, but at the same time we were treated like animals and some days they didn’t have staff so we had to sit in our tiny rooms. I also lost my tooth due to being restrained wrong. Which is something I have to live for for the rest of my life . Overall I think places like this should be shut down

starshine愛

I was almost sent here when I was 17 years old due to extensive trauma, behavioral and mental issues. They were talking to the placement about it. But my therapist at the place (that was only meant to be for about 40 days) advocated for me to stay. I stayed for 7 months until I turned 18. I thank God everyday for that. If not for that, I fear my life would be very different and not good.

I've heard from girls I've lived with that it's a terrible and frightening place to be, with creepy male staff and cockroaches. Needs to be shut down or heavily reformed.

L S.

My experience with Vista Maria has been a nightmare. I just wanted to help a kid that was couch surfing at 15. I took the child in almost a year ago. We lost our apartment in the spring because money was so tight and then I lost my job from the stress of homelessness. I begged for financial assistance that only came after we lost our place and I had to leave the state and move in with my boyfriend because I have no family. The money owed to me at the time would have saved our place. I was told I could not take the child with me because the adoption was not final. I had to leave the kid with an Aunt who has extreme mental issues and does not buy food, because there is a shortage of foster families. I am still waiting for the adoption to go through, its been many months. They want the child to do independent living but the kid is too afraid too live on-site so the child stays with a friend's family and begs me for food money. I feel so helpless. I tried to get the workers to fix the situation but was told that "I am no longer an active participant" and "thanks for bringing this to our attention, we will look into it". There is so much more but it would take hours to explain. My advice is don't get dragged into this place trying to help a kid, they will use and abuse you and then throw you away. (I would put no stars but that was not a choice).

Jehieli S.

I was in Beata Hall it the beginning was hard to adapt very hard besides when I was there I did not speak English at all I learned I lot when I was there it really help me in different a ways things I did not know specially my therapist Mrs.Metz I love her she is the best one every single staff there was very nice to me Mrs.Shawnetta Mr. Jamal Mr.curtis etc my primary Mrs.Irini every single person make a difference in my life thank you for your support and love

TruckNCricket

The pictures do not show how the children are kept! Or the rules! I never had that luxury in those pictures of any kind! They do not even seem to be from there! That place is awful! I about died when they thought I was going to escape! I laid on a bathroom floor to get the cold but also left alone!

Katie S.

Horrific. Vista Maria has been a house of horrors for decades and needs to be thoroughly investigated. The treatment of their clients is like something out of a traumatic drama movie, except it is real.

It is blatantly and abundantly obvious that those who truly run things at Vista Maria only care about money. They do not care at all about the girls here, their clients. Girls are subjected to extreme physical, s*xual, emotional, mental, and even spiritual punishment. Over the decades, countless girls have been r*ped, abused, put under strange and unusual punishment, harassed, intimidated, stalked, and tortured under the "care" of Vista Maria. When these girls try to report these horrific things, nothing has ever been done. In fact, most of them are punished or met with verbal abuse, harassment, and ridicule.

Vista Maria is registered in the System for Award Management for doing business with and bidding for contracts with the United States government (Cage Code 5FFAS). Truly, for those poor girls who are "in the system", it is little more than a human trafficking hub.

Some of the staff mean well, but a large percentage of the staff over the decades have inflicted mental, emotional, and at times physical and s*xual abuse. Some have even inflicted harm in some way based on others' religious beliefs.

Vista Maria is supposed to be a safe, secure, clean, positive environment, but it is not, and has not been for decades.

I hope someone is able to get an actual investigation going on how they mistreat their clients. All the girls who have suffered lifelong trauma at the hands of Vista Maria, deserve to have their voices actually heard

susan F.

What a wonderful place to volunteer. If it’s a donation of your time, resources or funds they are willing and worthy. Working with any of the girls is always bittersweet. Knowing they have a safe place to land during a difficult time in their lives is Vista Maria.