Bancroft (Bancroft NeuroHealth): Ownership, Violations, and Lawsuits

Michael Hill and the team at Michael Hill Trial Law investigate abuse, neglect, and wrongful-death cases involving group homes and intermediate care facilities (ICF/IIDs), and we represent families nationwide. The firm focuses on neglect and abuse in group homes, ICF/IIDs, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. Bancroft is a New Jersey nonprofit that runs group homes, supported apartments, and programs for children and adults with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and brain injuries in New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest disability-services organizations in the country.

If someone you love was injured or died in a group home or ICF operated by Bancroft or one of its brands, you may have legal options, and time limits can be short. Case reviews are free and confidential. Start your case or call (800) 659-2712.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Ownership and financial figures are drawn from public filings, state and federal records, and news reporting; regulatory and lawsuit items are from government records and court filings, each cited at the end of this page. Lawsuits and criminal charges are allegations unless a court has ruled; state findings may be appealed.

Group Home & ICF/IID Case Types We Handle

The injuries and neglect we investigate in group homes and intermediate care facilities.

Wrongful DeathPhysical & Sexual AssaultUnderstaffingChokingMedication ErrorsFalls & FracturesBedsores & Pressure InjuriesWandering & ElopementDehydrationMalnutritionBowel Obstruction & Fecal ImpactionInfections & SepsisGroup Homes & ICF/IID

What Group Homes and ICF/IIDs Are — and Why Harm Happens

A group home is a residential setting where a small number of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) live together with staff support. An intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID) is a federally certified, Medicaid-funded facility that must meet federal standards for active treatment, health care, and client protections. Many residents cannot fully protect themselves or reliably report what happens to them, which is exactly why staffing, supervision, and training decide whether people are safe.

The injuries that recur in these settings are rarely mysterious. They include falls and fractures; bedsores and pressure injuries; choking on the wrong diet texture; dehydration, malnutrition, and bowel obstruction and fecal impaction; medication errors; wandering and elopement; physical or sexual assault by staff or other residents; and, in the worst cases, wrongful death. The common thread is understaffing — a home that accepts residents it is not staffed or trained to care for makes the harm foreseeable.

Who Owns Bancroft?

Bancroft is a nonprofit corporation, not a private-equity-owned company. New Jersey's Department of Human Services lists the licensee as "Bancroft, a New Jersey Nonprofit Corp." Its IRS Form 990 filings, posted by ProPublica, report revenue of about $286.8 million for the fiscal year ending June 2025, against expenses of about $271.1 million, with net assets of about $79.5 million. Program services made up about 87.6 percent of revenue.

Because Bancroft is a nonprofit, its finances and executive pay are public. New Jersey reporting put the chief executive's 2023 compensation at about $660,524, and noted that several senior staff earned more than $250,000. Bancroft has redeveloped former campus real estate, including its historic Haddonfield campus, and opened a newer campus in Mount Laurel in 2017.

Revenue, Public Funding, and Finances

As a nonprofit, Bancroft files a public IRS Form 990. For the fiscal year ending June 2025 it reported revenue of about $286.8 million, up from about $266.5 million the prior year, with program services accounting for the large majority of revenue. New Jersey Medicaid is a major funding source; New Jersey reporting cited roughly $108 million in 2023 Medicaid payments for 586 residents.

Bancroft Brand Names and the Entity on the License

The name on a state license, inspection report, or court filing is often a subsidiary or brand. Families searching state records should look for these names:

Where Bancroft Operates

Bancroft operates in New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. New Jersey is its largest footprint; the state's licensed-provider report card for 2025-2026 lists 115 New Jersey homes with capacity for 591 people and rated Bancroft two of five stars on health-and-safety compliance and three stars overall.

Bancroft Lawsuits, Government Findings, and Regulatory Record

Bancroft's public record includes a landmark New Jersey enforcement action in 2002 after a 14-year-old resident's restraint death, two resident-care lawsuits (one dismissed on summary judgment, one partly barred by New Jersey's Charitable Immunity Act), and several substantiated state abuse findings and criminal charges against individual staff that Bancroft generally reported and acted on. New Jersey's Charitable Immunity Act shields nonprofit operators like Bancroft from ordinary-negligence claims, so only gross negligence or worse typically survives. No recent (2024-2026) resident-death news tied to Bancroft was found in the sources reviewed.

This is not a complete litigation history, and the existence of a lawsuit or complaint is not proof of wrongdoing. A settlement is not an admission of liability. Findings by state agencies may be appealed.

Notable matters

• 2002 — Regulatory action (contested on appeal by Bancroft): New Jersey fine after a 14-year-old resident's restraint death. After the February 2002 death of Matthew Goodman, a 14-year-old resident who died following a physical restraint, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services cited 39 violations and imposed a fine reported at $127,700, described in news coverage at the time as the largest ever against a New Jersey long-term care center. Bancroft contested the citations and appealed. Amount: $127,700. Source
• 2010 — Appellate ruling (claims partly barred, partly remanded): Estate of Komninos v. Bancroft NeuroHealth (choking death). Stephen Komninos, a Bancroft resident, died on October 8, 2007 after choking during a community outing. In a December 13, 2010 decision, a New Jersey appellate court held that ordinary-negligence claims were barred by the state's Charitable Immunity Act but allowed gross-negligence claims to proceed on remand. The final outcome is not reflected in the public record reviewed. Source
• 2019 — Criminal charges (allegations; outcome not confirmed): Staff charged over alleged abuse at Bancroft's Mount Laurel program. On April 29, 2019, the New Jersey Attorney General's office announced charges against two Bancroft psychiatric aides over the alleged June 2018 abuse of a resident at Bancroft's Mount Laurel program. Bancroft reported the incident to authorities and fired the two employees. The charges are allegations; the disposition is not confirmed in the public record reviewed. The individual employees are not named here. Source
• 2024 — State agency finding (substantiated; affirmed on appeal): Substantiated abuse finding affirmed by New Jersey appellate court. New Jersey's child-protection authorities substantiated a sexual-abuse/risk finding against a Bancroft program staffer involving a 17-year-old resident in a 2019 incident. Bancroft's own internal investigation also substantiated the conduct, and a New Jersey appellate court affirmed the agency finding in 2024. The staffer is identified only by initials in the public record and is not named here. Source
• 2023 — State agency finding (abuse substantiated; placement on registry): New Jersey Central Registry placement after a substantiated resident assault. In a final agency decision, New Jersey's Department of Human Services placed a Bancroft employee on the state Central Registry for physically abusing a resident at a Lakeside program residence. An administrative law judge found the employee's self-defense claim not credible. The employee is identified only by initials in the public record and is not named here. Source
• 2026 — Dismissed (summary judgment for Bancroft, affirmed on appeal): L.B., Jr. v. Bancroft (alleged improper restraints). A lawsuit filed in 2021 alleged that improper restraints at The Lindens in 2019 caused a resident head injuries. A New Jersey trial court granted summary judgment for Bancroft and other defendants in February 2025, and an appellate court affirmed on September 22, 2026, citing the absence of an affidavit of merit and of a prima facie showing of gross negligence. Bancroft was not found liable. Source

Complaint and Harm Types in the Bancroft Record

Across the public records reviewed, these are the kinds of harm that recur — the same kinds our firm investigates in group homes and ICF/IIDs. If your loved one experienced any of these, it may support a claim:

Who May Be Legally Responsible

Because Bancroft operates through separate state entities and brands — and because the parent company, the licensed operator, the employer of the staff, and in some cases the property owner may be different companies — a lawsuit may need to name more than one defendant. Names that have appeared in records involving these homes include:

• Bancroft, a New Jersey Nonprofit Corp.
• Bancroft NeuroHealth (historical name)
• Lakeside Program
• Sawmill I and II
• The Lindens
• Payson residence

What to Do If You Suspect Neglect or Abuse in a Group Home or ICF

• Get medical care. Call 911 or go to the hospital for any serious injury, sudden decline, or unexplained bruising, fracture, or weight loss.
• Report it. Notify the home’s administrator in writing, the state or county developmental disabilities agency that receives incident reports, adult protective services, and law enforcement for any suspected crime.
• Find the licensed entity. Ask for the license or check your state’s provider lookup; the company on the license is often a state subsidiary or brand name rather than the parent company.
• Document everything. Take photos, write down dates, times, and names, and save texts and emails.
• Request records. Ask for incident reports, the individual service or program plan, medication administration records, and staffing schedules. Guardians and authorized representatives usually have access rights.
• Be careful with statements and documents. Do not give recorded statements to insurers or sign releases or arbitration agreements before talking to a lawyer. Deadlines can be short.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bancroft

Is Bancroft a nonprofit or private-equity-owned?

Bancroft is a nonprofit corporation, not owned by private equity. New Jersey lists the licensee as "Bancroft, a New Jersey Nonprofit Corp." Because it is a tax-exempt organization, its IRS Form 990 finances and executive pay are public records.

What happened in the 2002 New Jersey fine?

After the February 2002 death of a 14-year-old resident who died following a restraint, New Jersey cited 39 violations and imposed a fine reported at $127,700, described at the time as the largest ever against a New Jersey long-term care center. Bancroft contested and appealed.

Has Bancroft been sued over resident care?

Yes. Public records include a choking-death case in which a New Jersey appellate court allowed gross-negligence claims to proceed on remand, and a later restraint-injury case in which Bancroft won summary judgment that was affirmed on appeal in 2026. Unless a court has ruled, claims are allegations.

Have Bancroft staff faced criminal charges or abuse findings?

Yes. New Jersey agencies have substantiated abuse findings against individual Bancroft staff, and the Attorney General charged two aides in 2019 over an alleged 2018 assault at the Mount Laurel program. Bancroft reported incidents and fired the employees involved. Charges are allegations unless a court rules.

Where does Bancroft operate?

Bancroft runs group homes, supported apartments, and programs in New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. New Jersey is its largest footprint, with 115 homes and capacity for 591 people on the state's 2025-2026 report card.

Can I sue a group home or ICF operator for neglect or abuse?

Generally, families may bring civil claims against a group home or ICF operator when neglect or abuse causes injury or death, and the parent company and the licensed entity may both be proper defendants. Deadlines, damage rules, and required pre-suit steps vary by state, and arbitration clauses and Medicaid liens can matter. A lawyer licensed in your state can explain your options. Michael Hill Trial Law offers free, confidential case reviews for families nationwide.

Who is legally responsible when someone is harmed in a group home?

Often more than one company. These operators frequently run each home through a separate local entity that holds the license, while the building may be owned by another company and staff employed by a third; for-profit owners and investors can sit above all of them. The right defendants depend on who held the license, who employed the staff, who managed care, and who owned the property at the time of the harm.

What if we signed an arbitration agreement?

Courts do not always enforce these arbitration clauses. Whether one applies depends on who signed it, the authority that person had, and the state's law. Keep a copy of everything you signed and have a lawyer review it before assuming you cannot bring a claim.

How do I check a group home or ICF's inspection and complaint record?

Group homes are licensed and inspected mainly by state developmental-disabilities and health agencies; ICF/IIDs are also certified and inspected under federal CMS rules. Use the state agency's provider lookup for the state where the home is located, and ask the agency for inspection reports and substantiated complaints.

About Michael Hill Trial Law

Michael Hill Trial Law represents families in group home, ICF/IID, nursing home, and assisted living abuse and neglect cases. The firm’s main office is in Cleveland, Ohio; it practices across the country, its attorneys are licensed in numerous states, and it works with affiliate firms throughout the United States. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for clients, including a $26 million jury verdict for wrongful death, the highest nursing home verdict in Ohio history. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Learn more about group home and ICF/IID neglect cases, wrongful death, and physical and sexual assault, or meet our team.

Sources

Information on this page comes from government records, court filings, regulatory reports, company statements, and news reports, linked below. Lawsuits and criminal charges are allegations unless a court has ruled. Findings by state agencies may be subject to appeal.

1. Bancroft IRS Form 990 (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer)
2. New Jersey DHS Licensed Provider Report Card 2025-2026
3. New York Times: NJ fines Bancroft after a 14-year-old's death (2002)
4. New York Times: Bancroft agrees to improve medical care (2005)
5. New Jersey Attorney General news release on staff charges (2019)
6. Komninos v. Bancroft NeuroHealth (CourtListener)
7. L.B., Jr. v. Bancroft (CourtListener)
8. New Jersey appellate opinion A-3165-21 (substantiated abuse finding)
9. New Jersey DHS final agency decision, G.E. v. DHS (Central Registry)
10. New Jersey Ombudsman: executive-pay review (2026)

This page provides general information about a company that operates group homes and intermediate care facilities. It is not legal advice and does not mean that any particular home or employee did anything wrong. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Last reviewed November 12, 2026.