Places to Send Troubled Kids in Texas

Kids will act out from time to time. Some kids may misbehave in school, turn to tobacco, alcohol and drugs or defy their parents' authority. When this behavior is more than parents can handle, there are several places in Texas where they can turn to get the help they need.

  1. Boarding Schools

    • A boarding school is a school where kids live full time, and there are several in Texas that assist troubled children. The Brook Hill School is a co-educational Christian school in Bullard, just southeast of Dallas. They offer fine arts programs such as vocal music and orchestra. The Hockaday School in Dallas is a girls school that invites numerous guest speakers throughout the year and offers a foreign-exchange program. San Marcos Baptist Academy in San Marcos is a co-educational school that focuses on preparing students for college. They provide one-on-one assistance to students with disabilities.

    Residential Treatment Centers

    • Residential Treatment Centers are used when a child has severe problems. In Splendora, the Shalom Center has programs lasting three to nine months. They offer individual and group therapy. Sundown Ranch in Canton focuses on kids with drug and alcohol dependencies. Their programs are individualized and provide a high level of structure. The length of stay varies based on each child's need.

    Boot Camps

    • Boot Camps offer a highly structured military environment and are often a parent's last resort. The goal of these extremely regimented programs is to deter a child's bad behavior by wearing them down. The Resolution Ranch is a boys-only camp near Cameron. They teach social skills, decision making and how to cope with peer pressure. The Texas Youth Commission boot camp in Austin has a 16-hour daily regimen followed by eight hours of sleep. This camp focuses on accountability and the program length varies based on the need of the child.

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