Adolescence always reviews a lot of emotions, challenges, and self-discovery. However, for some youths, it will be a difficult period that can lead to behavioral issues, emotional struggles, and academic setbacks.
Some of these youth, due to their environment will be addicted to drugs or alcohol, and some might be depressed due to their disability (blindness, deafness, etc).
Thankfully, there are some free boarding schools for troubled youth in Maryland that provide a beacon of hope, the same applies to free boarding schools in Australia, and in Texas.
These schools, based on long-held experience have seen that troubled youth often face different issues whether from their family and abuse to learning disabilities and mental health concerns. Once these therapeutic schools deal with these major causes, it helps students to overcome their challenges and embrace a brighter future.
Let’s list these schools right away.
Free Boarding Schools for Troubled Youth in Maryland
Before you continue, it would be worth noting that every child is unique, and what works for one child may not work for another.
1. The Children’s Guild
This is a free school for troubled youth in Maryland but doesn’t provide accommodation, rather, it provides free transportation to and from the school. Not only has your child’s tuition been paid for by the approving school system, but your child will also receive a free breakfast and lunch, so you don’t need to provide your kid with any launch money.
Just like free boarding schools in Florida, You can’t just decide on your own that your child needs to enroll in the Children’s Guild, you must meet with your Child’s IEP (Individualized Education Program) team to determine if an environment like The Children’s Guild is the best approach for your child’s success.
The therapeutic school is for individuals between the ages of 5 to 21 with emotional, behavioral, and mental disorders. They also provide counseling, support, and educational services to students with autism spectrum disorder and/or multiple disabilities.
- Location (Administrative Office): 6802 McClean Blvd. Baltimore, MD 21234-7260
2. Maryland School for the Blind
This is among the free boarding schools for troubled youth in Maryland for blind or Low-vision, including those with multiple disabilities. Similar to free boarding schools in Georgia, one of the beauties is that this therapeutic school has a specialized curriculum that will help them to work with students who have visual impairments perfectly.
Students with blindness or low vision from birth through 21 are welcome to join, and will not pay any tuition or other costs.
However, you should know that there are still some drawbacks to sending your kid to a blind school, including having fewer opportunities for interaction with sighted students, which can hinder preparation for the real world.
Just make sure if you’re considering a free therapeutic school for blind or visually impaired students that you weigh the individual child’s needs and preferences against the potential benefits and drawbacks of each option.
- Location: 3501 Taylor Ave, Nottingham, MD 21236, USA
3. Maryland School for the Deaf
Before we start, we would like to mention that not all deaf or hard-of-hearing students need a therapeutic school you have to consider the severity of the child’s deafness, and his/her social and emotional challenges (isolation, bullying, etc).
MSD is one of the free boarding schools in Maryland that provides free on-campus housing for full-time students which are staffed by trained Residential Child and Youth Care Practitioners (RCYCPs). To help boost students learning, MSD also provides some adaptive technology such as loaner laptops and tablets, hearing aids and cochlear implants, interpreting services, etc.
Furthermore, this free therapeutic school in MD provides some social support services such as clubs and activities, social events, peer mentoring, etc. They also influence their students through academic support by providing tutoring with certified teachers fluent in ASL, study skills workshops, etc.
- Location: 8169 Old Montgomery Road Ellicott City, MD 21043
4. The SEED School of Maryland
This is among the free boarding schools for troubled youth in Maryland for students in grades 9-12, and one of the top public boarding schools in the United States. It provides two separate dorms for both boys and girls which students return home for weekends, major holidays, and school closing.
Normal and troubled students can apply to SEED, and troubled teens will benefit through their Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), counseling and support services, mentoring programs, and after-school programs.
Each student is provided with a Chromebook, making them have 1-to-1 student Chromebook ratios, they are also provided with rolling pieces of luggage and backpacks. Likewise, SEED has a teacher-to-student ratio of 1:16.
Due to their excellence, 100% of their 12th graders are admitted to college.
Key Takeaway
You can see that these schools provide a variety of programs and services that can help troubled students overcome their challenges and succeed both in school and life. Choosing a free boarding school for troubled teens or youth is challenging, so you should consult with your Child’s IEP (Individualized Education Program), doctor, specialist, or any other professional involved in your child’s care.
