The selling of private (meaning parent funded) for-profit specialty schools and programs is big business and getting bigger - thanks in large part to the Internet where for a few bucks virtually anyon
United States of America (Press Release) September 12, 2007 --
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 12, 2007
TEEN HELP or CHILD EXPLOITATION?
By Barbe Stamps
Founder and Director of Teen Advocates USA
The selling of private (meaning parent funded) for-profit specialty schools and programs is big business and getting bigger - thanks in large part to the Internet where for a few bucks virtually anyone can set up a website and claim to be an expert at connecting parents with safe and effective treatment options or "resources" for their children -- free of charge.
Better known as "parent resource consultants" these Internet-based for-profit businesses are open for referrals 365 days a year, 24 hours a day and cater almost exclusively to middle-to-upper-class parents who can afford the hefty price tag attached to specialty schooling.
Indeed, with tuition costs in the range of $30,000 to $70,000 a year and more, speciality schooling is not an inexpensive option - an important consideration which helps to make "no fee" referral services seem that much more beneficial to parents who turn to them in the hope of finding "the best program at the best price".
Unfortunately, in their haste to save valuable time or money parents can fail to take into account the inherent (meaning ever-present) risk that comes with placing their trust and ultimately their child 's safety and well-being in the hands of strangers who do not have the professional credentials or training to properly assess the behavioral or emotional needs of children much less the safety and efficacy of the schools and programs they recommend as resources.
As a parent and a children's rights advocate with nearly 10 years experience monitoring the care and treatment of youth (and their parents) by the troubled teen industry, I can not emphasize enough how vital it is for parents to maintain a healthy skepticism about anyone who is not a child or adolescent behavioral healthcare professional yet claims to have a special "calling" or "talent" for helping teens or families-in-crisis.
This isn't just a red flag that should prompt parents to think twice about relying upon the advice of self-proclaimed teen help consultants it also raises troubling questions about parent resource companies who tell parents their "consultations" are free, then charge the "pre-screened" specialty schools and programs they recommend thousands of dollars for the referral and placement of their child.
While this practice of "cash for kids" isn't illegal it is clearly unethical and even dangerous given the inherent potential for conflicts of interest arising as a result of the competition between programs for placements (AKA "heads in the beds") and unscrupulous consultants steering parents toward choosing programs who pay the highest referral fees.
Read Full Article Here:
http://www.cashforkids.blogspot.com
September 12, 2007
TEEN HELP or CHILD EXPLOITATION?
By Barbe Stamps
Founder and Director of Teen Advocates USA
The selling of private (meaning parent funded) for-profit specialty schools and programs is big business and getting bigger - thanks in large part to the Internet where for a few bucks virtually anyone can set up a website and claim to be an expert at connecting parents with safe and effective treatment options or "resources" for their children -- free of charge.
Better known as "parent resource consultants" these Internet-based for-profit businesses are open for referrals 365 days a year, 24 hours a day and cater almost exclusively to middle-to-upper-class parents who can afford the hefty price tag attached to specialty schooling.
Indeed, with tuition costs in the range of $30,000 to $70,000 a year and more, speciality schooling is not an inexpensive option - an important consideration which helps to make "no fee" referral services seem that much more beneficial to parents who turn to them in the hope of finding "the best program at the best price".
Unfortunately, in their haste to save valuable time or money parents can fail to take into account the inherent (meaning ever-present) risk that comes with placing their trust and ultimately their child 's safety and well-being in the hands of strangers who do not have the professional credentials or training to properly assess the behavioral or emotional needs of children much less the safety and efficacy of the schools and programs they recommend as resources.
As a parent and a children's rights advocate with nearly 10 years experience monitoring the care and treatment of youth (and their parents) by the troubled teen industry, I can not emphasize enough how vital it is for parents to maintain a healthy skepticism about anyone who is not a child or adolescent behavioral healthcare professional yet claims to have a special "calling" or "talent" for helping teens or families-in-crisis.
This isn't just a red flag that should prompt parents to think twice about relying upon the advice of self-proclaimed teen help consultants it also raises troubling questions about parent resource companies who tell parents their "consultations" are free, then charge the "pre-screened" specialty schools and programs they recommend thousands of dollars for the referral and placement of their child.
While this practice of "cash for kids" isn't illegal it is clearly unethical and even dangerous given the inherent potential for conflicts of interest arising as a result of the competition between programs for placements (AKA "heads in the beds") and unscrupulous consultants steering parents toward choosing programs who pay the highest referral fees.
Read Full Article Here:
http://www.cashforkids.blogspot.com
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