We will use this space to describe concerns about program ownership and why it must be transparent.  We hope to develop this space in September and October 2008.  Until then, here are some issues to be included:

For profit vs. not-for-profit does not determine a treatment or education quality advantage for special needs students and clients.  In particular it does not determine whether or not the program is "dollar driven" -- putting emphasis on financial issues over the best interests of students and clients.

Several programs have closed not because of internal problems with those programs but because of financial manipulation -- and in some cases the incompetence  and even corruption -- of the owners.  We need to look at the competence, commitment, and integrity of the owners.

The identity, mission, goals, and over-all agenda of any major investor, owner or umbrella group must be transparent.

The possibility of owner/investor pressure on a program to act against child interest should be considered.

Financial provisions need to be made to ensure a "soft landing" for students / clients affected, and refund of any tuitions paid in advance in case of insolvency.  This might be accomplished through escrow or insurance or another means we have not contemplated.

Feedback is invited. We will  publish selected feedback.  Email FamilyLightResponse@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: No  program review, no matter how positive, is a blanket endorsement. No criticism is a blanket condemnation.  When we express our level of confidence in a school or program, that is our subjective opinion with which others might reasonably disagree.  When we assert something as fact, we have done our best to be accurate, but we cannot guarantee that all of our information is accurate and up to date. When we address compliance with our guidelines, you need to remember that these are only OUR guidelines -- not guidelines from an official source.  We have also set the bar very high, and do not expect any school or program to be in total compliance.  It is not appropriate to draw a conclusion of impropriety (or even failure to live up to conventional wisdom) from our lack of confidence in a school or program or from less than perfect conformity to our guidelines.  Some will say we expect too much. Readers are responsible for verifying accuracy of information supplied here prior to acting upon it. We are not responsible for inaccuracies.

Last Update  November 15, 2008