| Opinion
& Essays
-
Oct, 1994 Issue #30 |
WHY THE NEED FOR THE PROFESSIONAL
TRANSPORT AGENCY
by: Joey Dusina
Helping Hands
Orange, California
800-288-9384
As we are all aware, the challenges
facing today's youth and families are greater than ever. Teen
suicide, hard drug use, teen pregnancies and violence among
Juveniles (much of it gang related) are all increasing dramatically.
Fortunately, many families in
crisis are turning to educational consultants, counselors,
schools and programs for much needed help.
Unfortunately, the unanswered
question is exactly how the adolescent will be transported
from their current location to the school or program of choice.
This challenge is often the first to be overlooked. It is
usually the last to be decided. It can be extremely important
in that the safety of the adolescent and his/her receptiveness
to the chosen school or program are at stake. Filling this
void is the professional transport agency.
Though often unknown or misunderstood,
the transport agency can provide an invaluable service. It
is often assumed that when the time comes the parents will
escort their children. Unfortunately, at this point the parents
have so much going on in their minds (anticipation, worry,
guilt, etc.) that they are the last ones in the world in the
correct state of mind to effect a successful transport. Also,
most of today's adolescents are very astute when it comes
to "getting out of" anything they perceive as potentially
unpleasant. In other words, they know how to "push their parents
buttons". This has the effect of getting the parents to reconsider
and question in an instant the very decision they have spent
many weeks and months arriving at. Use of a professional transport
agency will eliminate these kinds of confrontations and get
the child to the program he or she so desperately needs. Many
parents, concluding that they could not handle the transport,
falsely assume that the police would step in to help. Unfortunately,
in this era of rising crime and shrinking budgets, this is
the last activity the police feel they can become involved
with.
Therefore, the task of transport
is best left to the professional transport agency. While the
actual transport may be an often difficult job, I can personally
state after 15 years in the field that the rewards of helping
turn a troubled child's life around far outweighs any other
considerations.
Copyright
© 1994, Woodbury Reports, Inc. (This article may be reproduced
without prior approval if the copyright notice and proper
publication and author attribution accompanies the copy.)
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