Besides, you could pan for gold in your spare time. No kidding. If you do go up there, tour the gold mine.
I agree with Deborah. If you can handle it, take the job, do the best you can, and document anything that isn't right. Going in with your eyes open, you'll either get a good job out of it *or* do some good for the kids by documenting any problems for the authorities so you can foster reform.
I put it that way because I don't think any one person's documentation gets bad places shut down. But I do think that each person's documentation is a contribution towards eventual reform.
The biggest thing I've heard (that I remember) to watch about HLA is whether kids who are in dutch for breaking the rules are getting enough food that is calorically and nutriotionally adequate for their age, body mass, and activity level.
I don't have a problem with giving kids on restriction bland food. But there should be plenty of it and it should be nutritious. From what I heard about cheap white-bread cheese sandwiches, a couple of the things I can think of right away that would improve the situation for kids on restriction is 1) letting them have seconds, thirds, etc.--as much of the bland food as they wanted, 2) providing a multivitamin supplement, 3) providing fresh vegetables as side dishes so the kids get necessary micronutrients and fiber---green beans, carrots, spinach, squash. Also, the cheese sandwiches wouldn't work at all for a lactose intolerant kid without a lactase supplement.
A bland diet isn't fun, but if it's calorically adequate for age, weight, and activity level, and nutritionally adequate, it's at least not abusive or neglectful.***
Timoclea (also from Georgia)
***I hope everybody knows me well enough by now not to take this recommendation for specific reforms as an endorsement of HLA or any other specific program. A child's place is in her home. However, in the rare cases where the last resort of residential treatment is actually necessary, we need reform so it's *good* residential treatment.
