Ranch Raised:  A Place to Call Home

Since 1976, the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches have provided hope and healing for children who, through no fault of their own, need a place to call home.

Security, safety, and love

The Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches provide a place of stability. At the Ranch, children no longer wonder where their next meals will come from, whether they will attend school the next day, or if they are safe from  abusive family members.

The Ranch is a place where children receive a priceless gift: a second chance to be kids. Our boys and girls are raised in family-style foster homes with up to eight children per cottage. Ranchers receive much more than warm beds and three cafeteria-style meals a day. They receive what we believe is the birthright of every child—the right to proper health care, educational opportunities, and a loving, safe home environment with people who care—not only for them—but about them, too.

 

Ranch life

In addition to having a great place to call home, Ranch boys and girls also have the opportunity to gain real-life experience working on our farm. These young Ranchers are helping raise registered Hereford cows in our cattle program. The ASYR cattle program helps children grow into loving, caring, and responsible young men and women.

The Ranch is also a place where Saturday afternoons are spent with fishing poles and tire swings.  It’s a place where dinner’s on the table shortly before sundown, and feeding the cattle is soon to follow.  Every day here offers a reason to give thanks.

More than 2,100 Arkansas boys and girls have come to know this as being “Ranch Raised,” and for many, the Ranch is the place they will always call home. Being Ranch Raised teaches behavioral accountability, positive work ethic, and faith in both yourself and others. Ranchers live in a cottage setting with houseparents and other children. They complete daily chores and responsibilities, some involving caring for animals in our farm program.graduation education Arkansas Sheriffs' Youth Ranches

Each child is guaranteed a quality public school education. The Ranch provides all the necessities – school supplies, technological infrastructure, and tutoring – to help them graduate from high school and a post-secondary education or work program.

 

The Ranch began as a mobile home on several acres in Independence County.  Through the support of Arkansans and our county sheriffs, the program has grown and has served children from every corner of the state. What began as a safe haven for two boys has become the current home for up to 40 boys and girls. The Ranch is more than 90% funded through support that comes from private donations.