Krysti's mom first told her about The Place. Parents seem to keep their distance but are welcome anytime, the LaFrances say. The role The Place plays in a teen's life depends on what they need. Ray LaFrance teaches guitar. There's homework help in nearly every subject, and a GED preparation groups, too.
People are disrespectful to each other at school again, even after all that's gone on.
But never here. Troublemakers have been asked to leave, but most of The Place's regulars police themselves, volunteers say. That's one indicator of success, they say. Others range from withdrawn kids opening up, to dropouts deciding to earn GEDs and enroll in job training. That's the goal here, to help teens make their own responsible decisions.