Communicating with Your Child and the School

A major part of the program at The Family Foundation School involves developing the healthy parent-child communication vital to our students' long-term success. Old communication patterns need to be broken and new ones established. The policies and procedures outlined below have evolved over the years with that goal in mind.

Parents' primary contact with the school is through their House Contact Person. Parents may call their House Contact Person weekly to discuss their child's progress.

Parents also may need to communicate with the principal about academics, the health office, the counseling department, and the business office. All can be reached through our main phone number: 845-887-5213.

First Visits

The first time parents see their child is at the Parents' Initial Seminar, approximately 4-6 weeks after admission. Parents can spend time before and after the seminar visiting with their child on campus in a public setting. The parents' next visit to campus is for the first Family Group. Timing on the group depends upon student progress. Most family groups are scheduled 4-6 weeks after the Initial Seminar.

Off-campus visits

If these first two visits are successful, a short day trip off campus may be approved. After about six months, students became eligible for overnight visits. We ask that the first overnight be taken in a motel or resort and not at home where students may be tempted to contact old friends and resume old habits.

Home Visits

Home visits are part of the transition process and should be put off until the student is ready to be reintegrated into the family.

Some exceptions to this home visit policy are made during the winter holiday season. However, most students do not go home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years or for any other holiday during their first year at the school. After that, holiday visits are limited.

Other Visits

Parents and other family members are welcome to visit the school for spring and fall graduation, for our three student performances throughout the year, and for other specially scheduled events.

Letters and Phone Calls

Parents and students are encouraged to exchange letters once a week beginning on the day of enrollment. The first phone call for most students to their parents occurs 30 days after enrollment. Based on the student's particular situation, an exception can be made to allow for an earlier first phone call. No communication from old friends is allowed, and communication with siblings and extended family members is handled on a case-by-case basis. Our first goal is to reestablish healthy communication with parents.

 

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