The Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches is looking for loving houseparents with a heart for raising children. We are looking for both full-time and relief houseparents. Our houseparents are the primary caregivers for children who call the Ranch home. Houseparents play a vital role in our mission. They demonstrate how a healthy home functions by serving as healthy, emotionally stable parents, interacting with children, family, and friends.
Some duties include: supervising children, maintaining records, keeping an orderly and clean home, and working cooperatively with Ranch staff and the other families who reside at the Ranch. Our ideal houseparent takes an active role in raising and inspiring children. We want houseparents to involve our Ranch boys and girls in 4H and our educational farm program. We want houseparents to engage children in fun activities that promote growth.
The ASYR is a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year home for children on a nearly 600-acre working ranch. Houseparents live in four large family homes and care for up to eight children in each home. Full-time houseparents are not required to have a second residence; they reside in an apartment in the home. Part-time relief houseparents provide respite for full-time houseparents eight days each month.
One of our houseparents describes her role at the Ranch:
“For us, we don’t look at being houseparent as a job. We just say it’s life. We are all just parents doing the best job we can to raise a houseful of kids. The ASYR is a community of families who live and work together on the Ranch. Being a houseparent takes commitment, sacrifice, vulnerability and a HUGE heart for children.”
To learn more about becoming an ASYR Houseparent or other employment opportunities at the Ranch, contact Philip Ives at 870-793-6841 or email philip@youthranches.com. To apply, fill out our application and submit to philip@youthranches.com.