All admission decisions are made by a committee that strives to meet the needs of both the applicant and the youth who are already in the program. Therefore, it is imperative that the Ranch receives a fully completed application and supporting materials to aid in the decision-making process. Once materials are received, the committee will review them and notify you if the program will be able to meet the child's needs. The next step is an interview with the admissions team. After this interview, admission will be granted if the child has been accepted.

Admission criteria

Residents of the Ranch must be residents – or have relatives who are residents – of the state of Arkansas. The Ranch admits children without regard to gender, race, creed, color, religion, national origin or physical handicap.

Additionally, children must have:

• A legal guardian. Could be an agency, such as DHS.
• Between the ages of 6 and 17.
• A full scale IQ of at least 80.
• Cognitive skills necessary to perform routine living tasks.
• No violent behavior and pose no serious threat to staff or other residents.
• Have no serious criminal record (i.e. violent crimes against people).
• A complete Ranch application.
• Approval from the sheriff in the county of residence.
• The ability to attend public school.
• The willingness to attend church of choice at least once a week.

An Application for Admission is available in Microsoft Word. Print the application and complete it, then return it by mail to:

Arkansas Sheriffs' Youth Ranches
Re: Admissions
P.O. Box 3964
Batesville, AR 72503

If you have any questions regarding admissions, please call us at (870) 793-6841, ext. 1-6, or complete the form at Contact Us.