STARS OVER KINDERGARTEN KIDS MAY HAVE FACE, TALENT, BUT HOLLYWOOD IS NO RECESS.

Byline: BARBARA CORREA Staff Writer

Michele Baron knew her baby daughter Kaegan was adorable. But it wasn't until lots of other people told her so that she decided to send some pictures to a talent agency.

An hour later, she got a call from an agent, who said she wanted to represent the 6-month-old baby.

A star was born.

Now 2 1/2, Kaegan has posed for Gap ads and Old Navy, graced the cover of Parents magazine, and starred in a Midol commercial.

That commercial made her eligible to join the Screen Actors Guild, a notion her mother finds hilarious. ``All these people come to L.A. to make it, and she gets an application to join the Screen Actors Guild,'' said Baron. ``She's 2 1/2. She doesn't need a SAG card.''

Kaegan may be a toddler, but she's already earned $5,000 to put toward college expenses. She is one of a growing number of youngsters whose parents are breaking them into the business to help pay for the ever-rising costs of a quality education.

``It's an excellent way to make money for college, but the parents have to be the patient type. It can be discouraging,'' said Phyllis Henson, founder of The Kids Hollywood Connection, an Orange County-based service that acts as a middleman between parents all over Southern California and talent agents and casting directors, who are, of course, concentrated in Los Angeles proper. ``If the parents give it a 100 percent commitment, in most cases it will work out.''

Standard payment for child modeling is $100-$150 an hour or $500 a day. A lead role in a commercial spot can command $50,000, while fees for theatrical roles are all across the board, she said.

Mary Beth Arellano, an Oxnard mother of 6-year-old triplets and another son one year older, said her kids have made about $80,000 in the five-plus years they have been performing in print and TV. Her triplets played the young son of a Mexican couple for six seasons of ``Six Feet Under.'' A portion of the money is being saved in a Coogan account -- a trust account required for any minor working in entertainment. It takes its name from child star Jackie Coogan, who earned an estimated $4 million during his career, most of which was taken by his mother and stepfather.

Coogan's experience acts as a cautionary tale for child actors, but even more for their eager wannabe stage moms. When it comes to kids breaking into Hollywood, it's easy to be taken for a ride. That's because the entertainment industry is saturated with bogus talent agencies and Internet scams, and parents of prospective kid stars are especially vulnerable.

``To me, the biggest rip-off in this town is all the kid stuff,'' said Carolyne Barry, a casting director and creator of ``Lights! Camera! Kids!,'' a DVD that teaches kids and parents how to get started in commercials. ``Some of the biggest rip-offs are the talent competitions where they hold a cattle call and for an afternoon, kids will meet casting directors. You get there and they try to sell you all this stuff. They say, `He needs a thousand dollars worth of pictures or classes.' Kids do need pictures and classes, but there are so many classes out there.''

So, how is a parent with an irresistible kid supposed to navigate the biz and earn some college money without getting burned? Just like adults, the hardest and most important thing for stage kids is finding an agent.

``Getting a reputable agent is harder than getting the work,'' said Carl Carranza, ceo of Flashcast Companies, Inc., an advertising service for babies. There are lots of Web sites that post pictures of potential talent for a monthly fee, but they are usually expensive, and casting directors don't look at most of them, Carranza said. He added that aside from his company, Breakdown Services, Ltd. and LACasting.com are the only reputable Web sites that casting directors use to find talent, so posting pictures there might be an option. Aside from that, it's all about who you know.

``There's two ways to do it. You have to know someone who can introduce the child and submit pictures to agencies. Or you can send out pictures to agencies,'' said Henson. In either case, there's no reason to pay for professional headshots until your kid is at least 5, she said.

``The No. 1 thing parents go out and do ... and you might as well put `stupid' on your forehead ... is go out and get professional pictures of babies,'' said Carranza. For babies and toddlers, it's best to use cute snapshots and wait to do headshots until they aren't changing so radically every few months.

Even when the time comes for your little actor to get real headshots, digital technology has made $800 headshot packages obsolete, said Trisha Simmons, owner of KidsAct, an acting school for kids. ``You can shoot for $50 and have a great picture.''

Aside from those pictures, though, and some gas money getting to auditions, the start-up costs for child stardom are minimal.

Reputable agents and managers do take a 10 percent commission, but it's taken off any work they book, so there's no upfront payment.

Of course, that's theoretical. The reality is that many parents of starstruck children end up spending a lot more than their kids ever earn. Jay Patel, father of 9-year-old Jaysha, has spent about $50,000, mostly on acting training, such as Trisha Simmons' TV Camp for his enthusiastic daughter. When she acts, said Jaysha, ``It's like I'm a celebrity... I want to wear a Valentino dress. I want to meet Keira Knightley.''

Jaysha has banked about $1,800 from performing in commercials for American Express, Intel and South African Breweries (SAB), and she landed a lead role in a film called ``Quest of Alchemy.'' Her father is so committed to helping Jaysha pursue her dreams that he moved the family to Los Angeles a year ago from Florida.

Brenda Aeschliman, grandmother to Paige Aeschliman, also made the move to L.A. to try to get her 6-year-old granddaughter into the business. In the year since the grandmother-granddaughter team relocated to California from St. Louis, Brenda said she has stopped counting how much she has spent, but she estimates her outlay at about $50,000. Paige made $300 from a stand-in part in a McDonald's commercial. ``My husband says we're finished,'' said Brenda Aeschliman. ``I was told to come home.''

But tales of Schwab's Drugstore-discovery stories come true once in a while. Morgan Decker, 13, and her brother, Jonathan, 11, were spotted by a talent scout in an Oklahoma City hotel lobby nearly a year ago. That chance event brought the kids, who had always been involved in theater in Oklahoma, to Los Angeles this past January.

They flew to Hollywood with their mother, Jonna, and checked into a Holiday Inn on Highland Avenue. The next day, they signed with Abrams Artists Agency.

With a Disney commercial, a music video, appearances on ``Drake & Josh'' and ``Monk'' to their credit, the Deckers appear to be on their way.

Their parents have already set up an investment account, where 10 percent of their earnings will go to use for college. The kids haven't earned back the $25,000 their parents have spent up to now, but mom Jonna said they will, once all the payments come in. And she's certain that her kids have found their niche. ``We went home for two weeks for Memorial Day,'' said Jonna.

``My son cried. He said he didn't want to leave.''

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 4 -- color) At top, hopeful child actors perform an acting drill under the watchful eye of instructor Trisha Simmons, owner of KidsAct, in Sherman Oaks. Simmons, left inset, explains a point while 9-year-old Jaysha Patel, inset right, performs for a commercial. Above, Morgan Decker, 13, performs for an ad during an acting class at Simmons' studio.

(5) Jaysha Patel, 9, on left, and Jonathan Decker, 11, work on their acting skills as instructor Trisha Simmons looks on during acting class Simmon's studio in Sherman Oaks.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer