Our Policies

Our policies reflect a desire to both protect and encourage your child toward her fullest potential. We make these policies available to you in order to alleviate any concerns you might have, and you can always contact us directly if you have any questions.

Corporal Punishment

Boise Girls Academy does not condone, participate in, or inflict corporal punishment (any form of inflicting pain or physical deprivation) on the students in our care. Our policy reflects our belief that corporal punishment is counter to our efforts of building relationships. Instead, we use a more effective and teachable form of discipline through the loss of certain privileges, added chores, and writing projects.

Discipline

All correction is done in an orderly and respectful manner. Our staff is trained in using biblical standards in positively addressing negative behavior. We do not use negative punishment (food deprivation, sleep deprivation, corporal punishment, or scare tactics). Privileges may be taken away for a time or chores added. Our goal is to help your daughter see and tear down her own destructive and distorted patterns of thinking and behaviors and using positive peer pressure — her student peers hold her to these standards. All this is done with the staff closely monitoring, facilitating, and intervening to show appropriate instruction and counseling.

Outside Contact

Boise Girls Academy is a program for the whole family. A pivotal and critical aspect of the program is the mandatory participation of parents at certain times. Parents are expected to participate in program curriculum and attend Parent Weekends every other month. A student’s success is dependent on the parent’s willingness to support the mentoring process of the program. 

Students are encouraged to write parents regularly and may do so immediately upon arrival. 

During this critical time in your daughter’s life, we request that you contact her frequently through letters and/or cards. Carefully chosen words can be of great value in achieving insightful responses and non-judgmental feedback. We will derive topics for your daughter’s phone calls and letters to you from issues she has revealed and also from the personal growth curriculum that she will be assigned.   

Phone calls every week to parents are 15 minutes in duration and are scheduled in advance by staff. Since much can be learned in regard to a resident’s progress by their interactions with parents on the phone, these phone calls are monitored and evaluated by staff.

Visits are during Parent Weekends, which are held every other month for two days (Friday evening until Saturday evening).

Parents and staff are in regular and weekly communication. Keeping families informed and involved in the process is a priority.

Staff Background Check Policy

Before being hired, staff members are subjected to multiple interviews, screening and Full Nationwide FBI back-ground checks to make sure they are appropriate for employment.  We do extensive reference checks and validation of prior work experience and education. Our staff comes from various backgrounds. But, the common factors of all staff are a love for God, compassionate hearts for hurting teen girls, and appropriate educational backgrounds. Our staff also has opportunity for in-service education and continuing job-related education through staff meetings, in-house training seminars, and training conferences.

Violent Applicants or Applicants with Sexual Misconduct Charges

Students are assessed prior to enrollment for appropriateness.  We will not admit a teen that we feel may be a risk to another resident.

Medication and Medical Needs

We allow and administer medicine prescribed by your daughter’s physician. Other required over-the-counter medicines are allowed as needed and as administered by our staff.

We maintain an on-call relationship with a local R.N. From time to time, Boise Girls Academy does make use of off-campus resources such as a local psychiatrist or physician.

Emergency Situations

All staff are trained in CPR and First Aid certified. All of our staff are trained in emergency preparedness as it relates to fires, tornadoes, severe weather, and intruders.

Runaway Situations

There are measures in place to deal with a resident that runs away from Boise Girls Academy.  We immediately call the local authorities/police to make them aware that a student is missing.  We will make the parent/s aware of what is occurring. Boise Girls Academy holds no liability regarding situations a student may find herself in upon running away.

Transportation Services

Students do not need to be willing to enroll at Boise Girls Academy. Although most students will come of their own free will, some students need coaching or persuasion before they come. Once we know about your situation, we will offer you recommendations to help you decide what is best for you and your child.

Specific State Laws

The age of majority in Idaho is 18. At this age, individuals are considered adults in the eyes of the law.