What can I do, as a parent to get my child to communicate with me?

A. There are various reasons why our youth will not talk to us. First of all, as a parent you have to understand that "friends do not discipline friends." If you want your child to talk to you, they have to know that you truly are interested in what they have to say and will not use it against them. Kids feel like it is easier to talk to their peers because of being befriended. Learn how to talk to your child-not at them. You will get more than one word answers from them this way.

If I find out my child is using drugs or alcohol, what should I do?

A. This question is asked alot. Some parents are shocked to know that their child is using drugs. Unfortunately, they are not alone. Far too many kids are abusing drugs and alcohol today. Peer pressure plays a major part of this. Kids are hard on each other when they want you to be like them. Your child will be called names and bullied if they do not do what their peers tell them to. As a parent you want to take time to talk to your child about the dos and donts of using drugs and alcohol. If you are using them yourself, it is more difficult for you to tell your child, " Don't do as I do, do as I say do." This becomes much more difficult when you truly are trying to be a role model for your child. Having alcohol readily available in the home could become a problem. Always remember, " You were once a teen."

What should I do if my child is having sex?

Sex education use to be taboo back in the day. It was a subject that was discussed behind closed doors. Now, with the advent of computers, kids can communicate and view sexual explicit photos online. If a parent puts a block on their computer, your child may just go to a friend's house and use theres. Educating your child to the end result of inappropriate sexual behavior should start early. Many parents might think that their child is too young to be talking about sex but we have found that many kids start talking about sex when they are 8 years old. Truly unbelievable. We have found condoms on these kids.  So we stress education, education, education. We all know that abstinence is the answer but diseases are showing up in kids younger and younger.

Can a teenage child stay with you indefinitely?

Yes. We have had some youth graduate from high school with us.

Do you offer a spiritual component to your program?

Yes. Pittsburg Youth Academy operates under the umbrella of Holy Fellowship Outreach Ministries. Your child will attend weekly Bible Study and Church Services on Sunday. There will also be spiritual guidance throughout the week.