Caringhouse Projects, Inc.: Ownership, Lawsuits, and Safety Record
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. Caringhouse Projects, Inc. is a New Jersey nonprofit, based in Pleasantville, that operates group homes for people with developmental disabilities. It is part of the CARING, Inc. corporate family.
If someone you love was injured or died in a group home or ICF operated by Caringhouse Projects, Inc. 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.
Caringhouse Projects, Inc. at a Glance
- Legal name: Caringhouse Projects, Inc. (CARING, Inc. family)
- Headquarters: Pleasantville, New Jersey
- Ownership: Nonprofit (part of the CARING, Inc. family)
- Scale: About 57 licensed group homes in New Jersey
- Revenue: $62.8M (fiscal year 2025)
- Brands: Caringhouse; CARING, Inc. affiliated entities
- Headline issues: Executive-pay scrutiny; a 1990s whistleblower/RICO suit and a 2024 employment suit (both allegations)
Group homes and ICF/IIDs are licensed and inspected mainly by the states and, for ICF/IIDs, by federal CMS — there is no federal five-star rating like the one for nursing homes. Counts below are from public records and are not a complete litigation history; they do not by themselves indicate the quality of any individual home.
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 Caringhouse Projects, Inc.?
Caringhouse Projects, Inc. is a New Jersey nonprofit based in Pleasantville and part of the CARING, Inc. corporate family, which has included Caring Residential Services, Caring Medical Day Services and other affiliated entities. It is led by President and Executive Director of Operations Joseph R. Dougherty and Executive Director of Finance Brian P. Curran.
Caringhouse is a nonprofit, not private-equity owned. It ran surpluses every year from fiscal 2018 through fiscal 2025, with net assets growing from about $3.6 million to $52.6 million and fiscal 2025 liabilities of only $3.7 million against $56.3 million in assets.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Mruz whistleblower/RICO suit filed against CARING, Inc. and affiliates |
| FY2018-FY2025 | Reports a surplus every year |
| Jan. 2026 | NJ Ombudsman / NJ.com report highlights a 103% rise in co-directors' pay |
Revenue, Public Funding, and Finances
Caringhouse reported program-service revenue of about $62.5 million in fiscal 2025 and surpluses every year from fiscal 2018 through fiscal 2025. According to a New Jersey Office of the State Ombudsman reprint of NJ Advance Media reporting, the two co-executive directors' combined pay rose 103%, from $494,398 in 2018 to about $1.06 million in 2023, reportedly paid through the related company CARING, Inc. The highest-paid person on Caringhouse's own Form 990 was a project director at about $441,000 total in fiscal 2025.
Caringhouse Projects, Inc. Leadership
Joseph R. Dougherty is President and Executive Director of Operations, and Brian P. Curran is VP, Treasurer, Corporate Secretary and Executive Director of Finance. James Darcy chairs the Caringhouse board.
Caringhouse Projects, Inc. 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:
| Family | Names you may see |
|---|---|
| CARING, Inc. family | ['Caringhouse Projects, Inc.', 'Caring Residential Services, Inc.', 'Caring Medical Day Services, Inc.', 'Caring Fellowship Centers, Inc.', 'Comprehensive Eldercaring, Inc.', 'Coastal Support Services, Inc.'] |
Where Caringhouse Projects, Inc. Operates
Caringhouse operates about 57 licensed group homes in New Jersey, with funding that includes HUD Section 811 housing for developmental-disability projects. A Pleasantville group home appears in New Jersey's HCBS heightened-scrutiny review.
Caringhouse Projects, Inc. Lawsuits, Government Findings, and Regulatory Record
No resident abuse or neglect substantiations, deaths or wrongful-death suits involving Caringhouse were found in this review. Its documented record consists of a 1990s whistleblower/RICO suit alleging Medicaid and tax fraud (allegations only, with no fraud finding identified and the outcome not found), a 2024 employment-discrimination suit (allegations), and oversight scrutiny of its executive pay. The limited public record may reflect New Jersey's limited provider-level transparency rather than the absence of problems; families with concerns should request inspection and incident records directly from the state.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Civil suits | 2 |
| Oversight reports | 1 |
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
- 1997 — Lawsuit (allegations; no fraud finding; final outcome not found): Mruz v. CARING, Inc. (whistleblower/RICO). Former employees, including a Caringhouse vice president, alleged they were fired after discovering and investigating alleged Medicaid and tax fraud, bringing False Claims Act retaliation, federal and New Jersey RICO and whistleblower (CEPA) claims, along with a parallel qui tam complaint. In rulings between 1998 and 2001, the court dismissed some claims and allowed RICO counts to proceed at an early stage. These are allegations; no fraud finding was identified and the final outcome was not found. Source
- 2024 — Lawsuit (allegations; outcome after remand not found): Poyner v. CaringHouse Projects, Inc. (employment discrimination). A former personal assistant alleges sexual-orientation harassment and retaliation under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. The case, filed in Atlantic County in November 2024 and briefly removed to federal court before being remanded in 2025, involves allegations only; the outcome after remand was not found. Source
- 2026 — Media / oversight scrutiny: Executive-pay scrutiny (NJ Office of the State Ombudsman / NJ.com). A January 2026 NJ Advance Media report, reprinted by the New Jersey Office of the State Ombudsman, ranked Caringhouse's 103% increase in its co-directors' combined pay (to about $1.06 million in 2023) as the second-largest among large New Jersey group-home nonprofits. Source
Who May Be Legally Responsible
Because Caringhouse Projects, Inc. 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:
- Caringhouse Projects, Inc.
- CARING, Inc.
- Caring Residential Services, Inc.
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.
Why Families Bring Group Home and ICF Cases to Michael Hill Trial Law
These cases are won by lawyers who try them. Michael Hill and the team at Michael Hill Trial Law focus on neglect and abuse in group homes, ICF/IIDs, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities, and the firm has obtained record results, including $26 million, the highest recorded verdict against a nursing home in Ohio history. The firm’s main office is in Cleveland, Ohio; it practices nationwide, its attorneys are licensed in numerous states, and it works with affiliate firms across the country. The review is free, and you owe nothing unless we recover for you.
Start your free, confidential case review | Call (800) 659-2712
Frequently Asked Questions About Caringhouse Projects, Inc.
Who owns Caringhouse Projects?
Caringhouse Projects, Inc. is a New Jersey nonprofit based in Pleasantville and part of the CARING, Inc. corporate family. It is not owned by private equity.
How large is Caringhouse?
Caringhouse operates about 57 licensed group homes in New Jersey and reported about $62.8 million in revenue for fiscal 2025.
Why has Caringhouse's executive pay drawn attention?
A January 2026 NJ Advance Media report, reprinted by the New Jersey Office of the State Ombudsman, noted that the two co-executive directors' combined pay rose 103% between 2018 and 2023, to about $1.06 million, reportedly paid through the related company CARING, Inc.
What is Caringhouse's safety and litigation record?
No resident abuse or neglect substantiations, deaths or wrongful-death suits were found in this review. Its documented litigation consists of a 1990s whistleblower/RICO suit and a 2024 employment-discrimination suit, both involving unproven allegations. A limited public record is not the same as a clean one; families should request a home's inspection and incident history from the state.
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.
- Caringhouse Projects IRS Form 990 (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer)
- CARING, Inc. IRS Form 990 (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer)
- CARING, Inc. (official site)
- NJ Office of the State Ombudsman: 'Are they making too much?'
- Are group home executives making too much? (Disability Scoop)
- NJ DHS FY2026 licensed-provider report card
- Poyner v. CaringHouse Projects, Inc. (CourtListener docket)
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.
