What should I ask?

What should I ask a potential school or camp?
(Questions to ask a school you are considering.)

Behaviors
Can you keep a teen if they don't want to stay?
Can the teen get kicked out?
What must they do to get kicked out?
Do you take aggressive teens?

Basic information
Is your facility licensed?
What are the program age ranges?
Are boys and girls kept separate? How?
What types of financing do you have?
What contact do parents have with the teen?
How often do parents get to talk to the school?
Are there any required visits for parents to make to the program while teens are there?
How many students in a room?
What kind of sleeping facilities?
How many share a bathroom?
Can my teen stay after 18 if they are willing?
Do they get to leave the facility during the program?
What do the teens do for fun?
What kind of extra charges beyond tuitionare there?
Do you need both parents' signatures and what are custody stipulations?
How long has your school been in existence?
Have you ever had any deaths in your program?
Have you ever had any life threatening or serious injuries?
Has your facility or any of its employees ever been convicted of child abuse charges?
(If yes explain)
What is the average length of stay?
What is program success rate?
Are admissions done on an ongoing basis?
What is your maximum occupancy?
What form of discipline do you use?
What kind of teens is not appropriate for your program?

Academic:
Can they take SAT or ACT?
Are college courses offered to high school graduates?
Who is education accredited through?
Are there any competitive sports available?
Is there any special tutoring offered?
Is there an additional price for special tutoring?
Is there and kind of special education help available?
Is there any kind of music classes offered?
Can teens bring musical instruments?

Security:
What is the procedure for a runaway teen?
What kinds of regulations are put on mail and phone calls?
What is the night watch like?
Is the facility fenced?
What is the staff to student ratio?
Do you take teens with criminal records?
Do you take court ordered kids?
What kinds of contact do the boys and girls have if any?
What are the credentials of the staff?
What kind of back ground research do you do on your staff?
Have their ever been any convictions against your program?

Medical:
Is therapy included in price?
Is therapy available?
If not included what is the price of therapy?
Do you take pregnant girls?
How close are you to a hospital?
Do you take teens with suicide attempts in their history?
Do you take teens that are self mutilating?
Do you take teens with eating disorders?
Is there a Dr. or nurse on staff or regularly scheduled to come?
Is Orthodontics available?
Do you take teens on medications?