The parents get brainwashed by these companies. It's like a cult mindset. They've got the script down perfectly, preying on the parents insecurities and fears until rational people make irrational, fucked-up decisions.
Pretty much. elan knew exactly what the parents wanted to hear and see and would tailor the parents tour or questions around that.
But what about most kids there are from group homes or foster situations? Those people don't have that excuse, except perhaps for the first kid. The comic states they send dozens of kids there, over the years. So for CPS, the "they didn't know" doesn't apply.