FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT JYA

1. What is the cost of the program?
2. Are there loans or scholarships available?
3. What is the length of the program?
4. What if a child does not want to go to JYA?
5. What do you do if a girl runs away?
6. What if the child is on antidepressants or some other medication?
7. What if the family or the child is not Christian?
8. Do the girls wear uniforms?
9. What is a typical day like at JYA?
10. What is the diet like at JYA?
11. Are dietary preferences accommodated?
12. How is school conducted?
13. What do the students do for fun?
14. How long does it take for the girls to begin to feel comfortable?
15. What if a child gets sick or hurt?
16. What if my daughter has braces?
17. Who can be involved in writing and visiting the student?
18. How can the parents support their children in the program?
19. Do the girls get to go home for holidays?
20. What are the living arrangements like?

1. What is the cost of the program?

Julian Youth Academy (JYA) costs $52,000 for 15 months on campus (covering all costs) and 6 months of Aftercare Support, totaling 21 months of service. This tuition covers room and board, all the schooling, and all the group outings. Most other programs charge at least $1,000 more per month, which totals around $15,000 to $25,000 more a year. When enrolling a student at the school, JYA asks for a $10,000 down payment, and the remaining amount is divided between 15 monthly payments of $2,800. JYA accepts Visa and Mastercard. JYA gives discounts for bulk payments on full tuitions.

2. Are there loans or scholarships available?

JYA gives zero-interest loans lasting the length of the program to qualifying parents. If necessary, JYA parents can also work with loan companies. Parents will be provided with a list of companies, and they are required to file all the paperwork themselves. Scholarships are available for parents who establish legitimate hardship or demonstrate they are in a difficult financial situation at no fault of their own. All scholarship applications are reviewed by the JYA committee and granted on a case-by-case basis. The decision is at the sole discretion of the committee and based on availability of funds.

3. What is the length of the program?

The program usually lasts 15 to 18 months, depending on the overall progress of the student. It is possible for a girl to finish early, but this usually does not occur due to the fact that a significant amount of time is needed to change behavioral patterns. The decision on when to graduate a girl is not based on how long they are in the program but how long they do well in the program. A strong foundation of consistently positive behavior is critical to their ability to maintain this change in their lifestyle upon returning home.

4. What if a child does not want to go to JYA?

Whether a child is willing to go to JYA or not, JYA recommends that you use a transport service. We have found that this tends to have a calming effect on the student. When the parent themselves transport the students, this tends to have a much higher negative emotional impact on the students and makes the admission process much more difficult.

5. What do you do if a girl runs away?

If a child runs from campus, we will follow them and make every attempt to ensure they are safe. Due to the fact that JYA is located in the mountains in a rural area, some will evade the staff members. JYA will let the sheriff department know; they are very supportive of the program and will help JYA locate the girl. Most girls return within thirty minutes because there is really nowhere to go. However, sometimes a student may make it back home, in which case it is very important that the parents bring her back or have her brought back to the program. This shows the student that the parents are in control of the situation and that they are committed to helping their child change. This wears the student out as it is almost always very exhausting for her (as well as for the parent). This helps the student to realize she needs to submit to the parents' authority. Should this occur, the JYA staff will coach the parent throughout the process.

6. What if the child is on antidepressants or some other medication?

The parents must make note of this in the phone profile and on the JYA application. The information is then passed on to the school psychologist. The psychologist then makes a decision about whether or not JYA can help the student based on the type and severity of the problem that the medication is treating.

7. What if the family or the child is not Christian?

Although all the staff members and administrators at JYA are Christian, JYA wants to help families and children regardless of their religion. It is not necessary for the child to be or become Christian. A decision to become a Christian or not to become one will in no way affect a student's standing in the program. However, the child will be exposed to Christian beliefs. Many of the Christian events are optional for the students.

8. Do the girls wear uniforms?

Yes, they do. The uniforms consist of khaki pants, khaki shorts, polo shirts, navy blue sweat bottoms, a sweatshirt, a summer zipper with a hood, a summer pullover, a t-shirt and mesh shorts for PE. All of these are to be purchased through Dennis Uniform Company. We also ask that the parents send the students to JYA with two pairs of good running shoes. The uniforms are for easier management of a dress code and, mainly, to prevent girls from grouping one another into economical classes that would cause division.

9. What is a typical day like at JYA?

The girls get up at 8:00 and have devotions or read a book until breakfast at 8:30. At 9:15 the girls start class, which goes until 12:30, which is lunchtime. After lunch they have class until 2:15, at which time they change into their PE clothes, doing their chores first and having PE afterwards. After PE the girls have an hour and a half in the dorms. They can spend this time showering, playing games, reading, or doing homework. At 6:00 they have dinner, followed by an evening activity at 7:30. At 8:30 the girls return to their dorms, at 9:15 quiet time starts, and the lights go out at 9:30. This schedule can vary slightly, due to the fact that JYA has events where guest speakers or past students share with the current students.

10. What is the diet like at JYA?

All the girls take turns helping the staff prepare the food for the meals. The girls eat three square meals a day of healthy and well-balanced foods. Fruits or vegetables are eaten at every meal, and the girls also have juice or milk each day.

11. Are dietary preferences accommodated?

JYA accommodates food allergies that are confirmed by a physician. However, we generally do not accommodate vegetarianism. Many girls in the program have poor eating habits and need a balanced diet, which usually includes some meat while they are at JYA. Beginning a healthy eating routine is a necessary component to beginning an overall healthier lifestyle. The only exception to this occurs when a girl has been a vegetarian for over two years. In this case, JYA will work with the family to determine the best course of action. We do not accommodate veganism under any circumstances due to the fact that JYA does not consider veganism to be a healthy dietary practice.

12. How is school conducted?

School is in session Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:15 and 12:30 and resumes after lunch from 1:30 to 2:15. School is also conducted year-round, allowing the girls to do schoolwork no matter what time of the year they are in the program. This year-round schedule gives the girls a much better chance of succeeding academically by providing them the most amount of time possible to do their schoolwork. The girls work at computer stations that have no internet access, and the staff members are there to help the girls whenever it is necessary. In addition to their schoolwork, the girls have PE for 45 minutes most every weekday.

13. What do the students do for fun?

The JYA staff members do many activities with the girls including swimming, hiking, water-skiing, whale-watching, playing sports, playing games, and going on special outings, to name a few. The staff members and students celebrate holidays together sometimes with an outside barbecue and sometimes with a joint celebration.

14. How long does it take for the girls to begin to feel comfortable?

This varies from child to child, but almost all the girls start settling in and enjoy playing the games after a few days.

15. What if a child gets sick or hurt?

JYA has an evacuation plan for fires and earthquakes and several response levels for different sicknesses or injuries. If a student is sick with something minor or requires routine medical treatment, this situation would call for a level 3 response. In this situation, she can contact the staff and they can provide her with what is appropriate for her current needs. A level 2 response would be if a girl needs treatment from a physician. A staff member is always available to take a student to the hospital or the doctor's office, depending on the situation. JYA also has life flight and paramedics available in Julian, which would fall under a level 1 response, used for the most urgent situations. All JYA staff members are CPR trained within three months of being hired.

16. What if my daughter has braces??

If a student has braces, JYA asks the parents to switch to the orthodontist that JYA uses in Julian. A staff member will drive the student to her appointments.

17. Who can be involved in writing and visiting the student?

Only the parents/legal guardians on contract are allowed to write to the students. Also, the parents/legal guardians on contract are the only ones allowed to visit the students on the JYA campus. Initially, parents are permitted one visit on campus every month. After the third visit, parents are allowed to bring siblings if they are younger than ten years old. For girls who have progressed farther into the program, both the number and length of parent visits increase. After progressing further into the program, students receive off-campus visits and, eventually, home visits. JYA encourages the parents to spend those visits alone with the child to work on their relationship with her. Students have related that having too many visitors during these times away from JYA tends to overwhelm them. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, or siblings will have increased involvement as the student moves forward in the program.

18. How can the parents support their children in the program?

Parents are strongly encouraged to visit their children and write to them on a regular basis. Parents can also help their daughters by attending the parent meetings and the parent seminars. Doing this gives the parents information about parenting and also helps their daughter because the girls receive points for the parents' attendance. Also, if the student sees the parent is invested in JYA, this encourages the student's participation as well. If parents are not able to attend the meetings, they should call other parents who attended to get the information that they missed. The student will receive points in this situation as well. JYA also encourages parents to call each other when they are struggling with their child so as to provide support for one another during this difficult time.

19. Do the girls get to go home for holidays?

Yes, when they have reached level J in the program.

20. What are the living arrangements like?

There are twenty five girls per dorm in two dorms. JYA uses an up-buddy system comprised of a new student and a student who has been there longer. The two buddies will stay together most of the time. The girls change buddies and dorms every two weeks.