Having Your Child Become A Star Could Put You And Them In The Poor House

Ciara Bravo a star of Nickelodeon's Big Time Rush

If you have ever thought that your child was talented enough to make it as an actor on TV or in films, be careful what you wish for.  If you see great big dollar signs in your eyes if your child was to land a gig on say Nickelodeon or Disney, think again.  In Hollywood terms, you may as well call it slave labor.
The Hollywood Reporter has a great article on their site called, 'Why the Business of Child Actors Isn't Child's Play.'
On the subject of money they state:

A child booking a handful of movie roles and TV spots every year, along with a voice-over spot every month, might make $50,000-$60,000 a year.
Kids who are regulars on a Disney Channel or Nickelodeon series don't fare much better, typically making $5,000-$7,000 a week on a 22-week series. On top of that, Disney and Nickelodeon usually have clauses that block kids from working outside the series.

Worse than that would be if you look at what you could essentially say is their net pay.  The Hollywood Reporter goes on to say:

Then there are the expenses. Lacking the classic adult deductions for home ownership and dependents, kids often lose as much as 40% of their pay upfront to taxes, on top of the 10% that goes to their agent along with 15% to their manager and 5% to their attorney, if they have them. Then there's all the money spent on union dues, head shots, acting classes, gas for driving to auditions and, for those from out of town, rent for a hotel room or an apartment.

The article has much more info.  You can read it by going to The Hollywood Reporter.  And if you are still insistent on making your child a star, order the book at left from Amazon.Com.

Related articles

• CHILD'S PLAY: Disney says: 'Let's Move!' (politico.com)
• Nickelodeon and Disney auditions coming to an agency near you (timeoutny.com)