I am intrigued by the Milton Hershey School.

[Anonymous]

It is a great opportunity. However, it is for parents who are able to sign over custody to the school. Parents can visit very frequently and students can go home, but the school oversees medical and custodial care. It’s a good option for those who cannot parent fully, such as incarcerated, institutionalized, extreme poverty, etc.
ages range from birth to 20’s, but you must be under 16 to enroll. The children want for nothing, they are provided with absolutely everything, the tuition is free and budget is huge, they get subsidized college or training school funds and bridge program after highschool.

[Anonymous]

I think the adds we see frequently are career offers. They are always looking for house parents, or substitute house parents. It’s a great gig, if you are a sub you work one weekend a month for really good pay. They always seem to have job openings, since they recently began expanding with the Catherine Hershey school for infant-k age group (not boarding).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those who don’t know, Milton Hershey school was set up by the original Hershey trust as a boarding school for high-performing, very low-income kids. Family income must be no more than 2X the federal poverty level (and the school is free) The school , managed through the Hershey Trust, is actually a primary shareholder and Director of the Hershey Chocolate Company. There have been recent rumors of Hershey being “in play” as a potential acquisition candidate from other food companies and private equity, but the deal has never materialized specifically because of the obligations to the Hershey School and Trust and the role of the Trust in the governance of the chocolate company.

This is a great school set up in a long-term and philanthropically pure way. Its structure has done what its founder presumably wanted despite the best efforts of many to circumvent it.

If you are a candidate and choose to send your kid there, go get ‘em.

No. I am familiar with this school. It started as a good thing to help boys without fathers. It entered into the system of taking in boys who have issues with the law along with boys who are fatherless and many of those families do not realize the difference until there kid is there. This is not Choate.

Nobody said it was Choate. These aren’t kids who are debating between Hotchkiss and Andover, they are largely severely disadvantaged children with enormous odds stacked against them. This offers a way out and a good education. There are definitely behavior issues and problems, but outcomes in aggregate are certainly superior to most under-resourced schools in the most disadvantaged areas.

Boarding schools have huge endowments and offer great FA and many disadvantaged students do not realize this and might be able to go to a Choate. I have a relative who worked at Hershey and who left when the evolution with who was going to the school started and this was many years back. I agree that the students want for nothing and there is a college stipend etc. This is true and well funded but now that the mission changed you have students who have unique needs ie getting away from incarceration etc then a student who lacks a father or father figure and goes to the school to find this. It also used to be for boys and that changed too. All kids have needs but not necessarily a good thing for the kid who has not had to deal with the law and is just looking for a boarding experience. These are complicated issues but well worth talking through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the adds we see frequently are career offers. They are always looking for house parents, or substitute house parents. It’s a great gig, if you are a sub you work one weekend a month for really good pay. They always seem to have job openings, since they recently began expanding with the Catherine Hershey school for infant-k age group (not boarding).

I would think that being a house parent there would be incredibly hard. God bless people who do that.

[Anonymous]

Where do I drop my 4 year old off?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where do I drop my 4 year old off?

How obnoxious. A four year old going to Hershey is going there because their home is in disarray, they don’t have a nuclear family, they live in poverty, their parents are incarcerated or abusers and someone is throwing a Hail Mary pass hoping to find a glimmer of light. You being a c**t on DCUM doesn’t make you superior.

[Anonymous]

OP here: Thank you to the posters who provided the NYT links. What a fascinating, heartbreaking read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Thank you to the posters who provided the NYT links. What a fascinating, heartbreaking read.

Yes, thank you. What a devastating story.

[Anonymous]

Its a great school, probably for kids who need it but its basically a group home if its starting at age 4. Kids basic needs are met, I wouldn't say they want for nothing as they probably don't get a lot of extra's, but all their basic needs are met. Its very hard on kids to live in these settings when young as there are a lot of staff and no true parents. If they are constantly looking for staff, it makes you wonder why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've watched a few documentaries about it and go down a research rabbit hole every time. It's a fascinating place with some very happy and very sad stories.

In one documentary I watched, it showed that a lot of the boarding, especially with little kids, is as in homes that look and feel exactly like a regular family home. That wasn't quite what I had imagined and it made a lot more sense after I saw that.

OP, I hope you have read The NY Times series about Dasani, who is a girl who eventually ends up at the school. If you haven't, it's one of the most moving series I've ever read. I won't say more in case you haven't read it yet. Be sure to look up the 2021 update.

https://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013/invisible-child/index.html#/?chapt=1

The author of the articles also wrote a full length book: Invisible Child, that describes the school and Dasani’s experiences there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My god. What kind of parent sends their FOUR YEAR OLD CHILD to boarding school?

Someone who wants their child to have a better life then they are able to provide for them. It’s a option in multiple ways for kids and families who often have few options and little support.

[Anonymous]

Note different perpetrators:

https://www.abc27.com/hershey/former-milton-hershey-school-house-parent-accused-of-sexually-abusing-child/

https://www.victimscivilattorneys.com/news/milton-hershey-school-houseparent-charged-with-felony-sex-offenses/

[Anonymous]

This is a very special place for kids from profoundly disadvantaged backgrounds. Many come to school with just the clothing on their backs. The school provides everything, including clothing, medical, dental, orthodontia, psych help, etc. I work with a few MILTS (graduates) and they are extremely successful and grateful for the school. The school isn’t for everyone. But it’s an incredible place for kids who would benefit from a different living environment. And yes, the house parents are amazing.

[Anonymous]

And by buying Hershey products and visiting Hersheypark, you are supporting the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The 2 kids I met (years ago, when i worked in college admissions) were both orphans. It was life changing for them and they were incredible kids.

The one kid I knew who went was also an orphan. He loved it.