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 the student's family counselor.  Counselors facilitate weekly contact (by phone or Skype) between parents and students as part of our family counseling program.  Parents may also call their family counselor directly to discuss a student's progress.

Parents needing to communicate with counselors, the health office, the business office, or with the principal about academics, can reached them through our main phone number: 607-637-8200.

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 four to 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 which prepares students for reintegrating into the family.  Depending on the student's progress, home visits can coincide with the school's academic break weeks and the winter holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years).

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 from students to their parents occurs 30 days (or sooner, in some cases) after enrollment. Thereafter, students call home twice a week for ten minutes, in addition to the call facilitated by their family counselor as noted above.

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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