Friday, May 30, 2008

Core Solutions Parent Community - Two Years Later

…Where Parents and Staff are Thriving…Right Now!

By Randall Cook

Two years ago, when Core Solutions was introduced to our field, it was met with its fair share of critics and skepticism. In all fairness, most startups would experience some level of resistance, perhaps even more so when introducing a new service to the family healing field. On the other hand there were those who could immediately see the obvious advantages that our service would proved their group or School; instant transparency, strengthened credibility and additional support for their current and prospective parents.


Core Solutions operates private, secure online bulletin boards, customized to reflect and brand a School’s website look and feel. Parents access their online Community through their School’s website. Aside from having created a turnkey system that takes out all of the guesswork implementing a secure, easy, successful launch, Core Solution’s role is to continually monitor and maintain all aspects of the online Community.


Schools benefit by having a system where their parents can rally together in family healing. Parents work together to keep one another strong and support their child’s program. They gain insight from peers who have “been there, done that” and can speak to the process of enrollment to graduation. They encourage each other to stay open to learning and growing alongside their son or daughter.


I have found the service Core Solutions provides to be incredibly helpful. It is helpful at the therapeutic school my son goes to because they use it as a message board for parents. I love that his school is so open to parents getting to know each other and support each other.M.R., Parent of Enrolled Student


Core Solutions stats, to date:


1,000 families: currently being served

1,000 logins per day: families utilize their Community to stay current and invest back into their School.

1,000’s of photos posted: life on campus, parent seminars, and students seminars, family visits, activities, graduations, community involvement, etc.

90% enrollment within 7 days: Schools who utilize their board as a pre-admission tool for prospective families, have 90% placement rate within 7 days.

10,000+ topics posted by parents and staff: The active participation and experience posted are contributions for other parents to draw from.

48 States and 11 Countries: Net connection erases physical boundaries creating unity and support.


Schools we serve thrive because they offer services that attract families who want to engage in solutions vs. a program solely focused on the child. Though families may be spread across the planet Earth, technology shrinks that gap. We deliver this in a valuable, secure, user-friendly system.


Sending our child to the “wilderness” in the hands of escorts and then moving him to a TBS has brought heartbreak and joy at the same time. The feelings of joy came with renewed hope that this out of control teen has an opportunity to start over and be renewed mentally, emotionally, and physically. The experience is overwhelming and isolating because there are so few families that can share this- or that will share it openly. The family and friends forum is uplifting and enlightening and certainly promotes the whole concept of “parents mentoring parents”. Thank you for establishing this community.G.G, Parent of Enrolled Student


Our basic customer profile: Schools with a minimum 25 student enrollment and have earned a favorable reputation within our industry and their own local community. Our service includes around-the-clock availability, security and technical monitoring, and attention to individual account issues.


We contract with some of the most influential leaders within our industry. Working with these high profile groups, speaks to our commitment, professionalism and stability.

For a list of testimonials, referrals, or a personalized proposal for your School, please contact me.


About the Author:
Randall Cook is a program graduate who administers several bulletin board systems in a Family Friendly manner. He administers the Struggling Teens board, numerous Programs, Schools, and Professional Organization Boards. www.corebb.com

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

SCHOOLS BENEFIT WHEN THEIR PARENTS THRIVE

Get Parents Behind Your School With A Web based Community

By Randall Cook


Everyone knows a website is needed for an optimal operation of a School in today’s techno age. The main purpose for the first step in utilizing a website is information and marketing. Having taken that giant step forward by having an active website, the next step for Schools is to use online services to bring the parents of their students into the school community! Moving in this direction enables a school to make the web the optimal platform for their School and to spotlight their results. By developing a customized private, secure online Community through a discussion board or similar arrangement, their families have a way to support one another, and through knowledge and no longer being isolated, will better be able to support the School their child attends. Schools that have taken this step to developing online communities report outstanding benefits.

The following areas are what schools with online parent communities are reporting, along with solidifying and strengthening their family’s loyalty and support.

Service- 80% of U.S. adults now are online, which accounts for most admissions originating online. Schools that have powerful online Parent Resources are the next chapter in parent service. An effectively operated online parent resource will highlight a school’s reputation as a family-friendly school.

Interaction- Students and Staff certainly keep each other busy all day long. In contrast, the parents are at home, at work or in their community with little, if any support system of anyone who truly understands what they are experiencing. They need their school to open up their doors to them. They need their school to help get them working and gaining support from other parents who are on their same path. This will get them tightly enrolled into a school’s program and put the ‘light at the end of their tunnel’, or at least put their day into reference. Once they’re able to connect with each other for support, it will translate into easing the demands on a school’s staff.

Community- Bringing parents and staff together to meet, network and learn offline is a great opportunity. However, an online parent community enables a school to do this online as well making that support continually available to their families. It’s a cost effective means for parents to stay involved as often as they choose, make friends, and support the Staff. The parents at Schools that have active online communities have responded with great enthusiasm and reinforced commitment to stay the course.

Reputation- With social networking sites popping up everyday, it is imperative for a school to have their own online system where they have control, influence and leadership. With the advent of the web, reputation has become more vulnerable. With so many parents, students, and others going online, it is important for a school to utilize this opportunity to their advantage. The web is here to stay, so harness the positive energy and make it work for the school!

The web is a powerful reality of our lives. Embrace the steps to make it work with you, and for you. Raise the bar and become the ultimate family-friendly program.


About the Author:

Randall Cook is a program graduate who administers several bulletin board systems in a Family Friendly manner. He administers the Struggling Teens board, numerous Programs, Schools, and Professional Organization Boards. www.corebb.com