A former KidsPeace employee was sentenced Tuesday to 60 months of probation after admitting he broke a 10-year-old boy's fingers on both hands while trying to restrain him at the facility's North Whitehall Township campus. Kellin Jesse Miller, 30, of Whitehall, pleaded guilty to simple assault and endangering the welfare of children, and avoided any jail time under the plea deal.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, the boy was assigned to Miller's care at KidsPeace, which operates a facility on the 5300 block of KidsPeace Drive. Surveillance video captured inside the building showed Miller bending the child's fingers in an unnatural direction while attempting to restrain him. The boy was left in visible pain and distress after the incident, and he went without medical attention for two days until his parents noticed his broken fingers and got him care, which ultimately required surgery to repair injuries on each hand.
Video Evidence Undercuts Restraint Justification
Detectives were called to investigate the reported abuse at the KidsPeace facility roughly three weeks after the assault occurred, per officials cited by NBC10 Philadelphia. The footage reportedly contradicted any suggestion that the broken fingers resulted from an unintentional accident during a standard restraint hold. Miller was subsequently arrested and charged before pleading guilty to the two counts.
Under 55 Pennsylvania Code Chapter 3800, state-licensed child residential facilities are subject to state regulations, according to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
A Facility With a Troubled History
The Orchard Hills campus where the incident happened operates a 120-bed psychiatric hospital and other programs, per the Trapani Law Firm. KidsPeace is a private nonprofit that treats thousands of youth across multiple states, but this is far from the first time its North Whitehall Township location has come under scrutiny for how staff use physical restraints.
Two decades ago, Pennsylvania shut down admissions to KidsPeace facilities statewide after seven children suffered broken bones at the organization's main North Whitehall Township campus, according to Youth Today. As of early 2026, the facility also faces at least five active federal civil lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania alleging a pattern of physical assault, sexual abuse, improper restraints, and staff negligence, as reported by Helping Survivors. Plaintiffs in those suits make allegations about staff conduct.
Police Investigation and Broader Concerns
The available reporting includes a May 2022 state-police investigation of a disturbance at the KidsPeace facility. Broader concerns include workplace-violence hazards.
Manual restraints in Pennsylvania juvenile residential facilities remain part of the broader debate over how youth facilities handle physical interventions. Pennsylvania banned prone restraints back in 2008, and Chapter 3800 covers Pennsylvania youth facilities.
