Expert: Kitty Kavey - 6/15/2010

Question
hi I've been trying to get my 5 year old daughter in to modeling but have nt had any success yet .i have people on a daily basis telling me how cute she is and that she should get into child modeling do you know any steps i could take

Answer
Hopefully you and your daughter live in an area where there are a number of good model/talent agencies.  You can check your local library or bookstore, or online for books written about child modeling.  Many of the books contain a list of agencies that represent children.  

You can also use the Screen Actors guild list of franchised agencies: http://www.sag.org/content/find-agent

The list is searchable by location in the US, and you will need to keep an eye out for "full-service" agencies (they represent models as well as talent) and "all ages."  You can use your favorite search engine to locate the website of any agencies you are interested in.  Most do have a website which usually details what ages/types of models/talent they represent as well as instructions for new faces.

All the agencies on the Screen Actor's Guild list of franchised agencies should be quite reputable, and most likely you will only need to supply a snapshot or two for your daughter to begin working.  Most agencies will take 10-20% off of the money a model/talent earns through them, and should not require any other fees or services (such as printing, classes, websites, etc.)

Hopefully you're in or near to one of the larger markets for work, and find an agency that is perfect for your daughter.

Good luck to you both,
~Kitty