Parents

Consumers, Not Just Case Numbers

Abstract

Consumer…as we know it is someone who expresses a want or need and seeks out specific entities who have the product or services for that want or need. In exchange for that product or service, a consumer provides the monetary means to purchase that product or service, and if satisfied they welcome purchasing relationships with those merchants. Apple, Uber, and Amazon, have morphed into suppliers who administer products that are readily available and satisfy the needs and wants of their consumers. But what if we consider this ideology of consumer and make it applicable to both education and human services? What if we take a look at a special group of people, such as parents, who expect both of these institutions to compensate the needs and wants and not just be treated as another case number? What would it be like if parents could buy into education and human services and expect to get a return on their investment? Treating parents as consumers in both education and human services can help establish stronger and more respectable relationships between both suppliers and parents, and have a greater possibility of positive outcomes for both families and institutions.