Daughter wants to act or model!?!

Daughter wants to act or model!?

Okay so here's the deal. My daughter is 8 years old and wants to act! What do I do?
She has ALWAYS had an interest in it. She is super smart, super talented, and super pretty! (Not saying this b/c she's my daughter) (Okay well maybe a little) But seriously she is considered gifted as in smart by her school.
I don't know what to do. She watches Disney and wants to be like the kids on there. She talks about acting all the time. As a parent I know the up's & down's of acting but do I let her follow her dream???
Where do I even begin? I live close to the city of Philadelphia.
I just want advise.

Thanks!

She will need to begin by taking some real acting lessons and getting cast for some amateur productions. Basically you'll need to start developing her portfolio (head shot, resume, etc.).

The BEST way to do this is to go to a local actor's training facility or group. They will tell you the best and most reputable photographers to take some good head shots, and you can sign her up for some classes.

Be advised that becoming a professional actor is NOT CHEAP. There will be a LOT of expenses up front that will not generate any return income. Individually, they aren't that expensive, but collectively they add up. A few hundred a month for acting lessons, another hundred or so for the head shots, a lot of time and travel costs to productions that will either be non-paying or very low scale. So you have to be ready to commit to that. (If you meet other parents of child actors at these centers, TALK TO THEM and ask for a realistic idea of the costs they are paying for everything.)

This is the way to go. DO NOT look in the paper for acting agents or photographers. Some are reputatable, most are not, or they are the worst in the business.

The actor's centers will have plenty of business cards and posters for such services, and you can ask who other people used and SEE the results they got FIRST.

Good luck!

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I'd stay away from modelling at first. It's a difficult industry and very competitive and ruthless, and potentially dangerous for children if you don't know who you're dealing with. You will do better by starting with the acting centers, establishing good contacts, you'll get recommendations for a good agents, and they will get her into the reputable modelling jobs as a part of her acting career. Besides, all the good models know how to act. Just watch "America's Top Model".