The key question: Did the investment by CRC and its parent Bain Capital change in any way the Aspen Education experience?

Aspen Education advertises itself as

recognized nationwide as the leading provider of education programs for struggling or underachieving young people. As the largest and most comprehensive network of therapeutic schools and programs, Aspen offers professionals and families the opportunity to choose a setting that best meets a student's unique academic and emotional needs.

Well, not so fast. It is also a for-profit venture, required to maximize returns to its ultimate owner, Bain Capital.

Mitt Romney and partners founded Bain Capital in 1984. In the fall of 2005, Bain Capital purchased CRC Health Group. In September 2006, Aspen Education merged with CRC Health Group ( Download Aspen to CRC PDF document announcing merger).

The key question:

Did the investment by CRC and its parent Bain Capital change in any way the Aspen Education experience?

A reporter from Washington DC is seeking to interview parents and students who attended an Aspen program between the fall of 2006 and the present.

To contact the reporter, email chris@cafety.org Cafety stands for Community Alliance For the Ethical Treatment of Youth, and it is "a member-driven, peer-support, and advocacy organization that promotes and protects the human rights of youth who are at risk or have been confined in residential programs."

At one time, Aspen Education Group operated 38 programs in 13 states. The last two years have seen a series of program closures, consolidations, and restructuring.

Partial List of Programs and Schools Operated by Aspen Education, 2006-present