Are your facilities and programs licensed?
Our facilities and programs are licensed
by the New Mexico Health and Environment Department and the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families
Department. We are also accredited by the New Mexico Christian Child Care Association.
Where are your facilities located?
Boys Ranch is located 60 miles south of Albuquerque,
near Belen. Girls Ranch is located east of Santa Fe, near Lamy. Pippin Youth Ranch is located 5 miles
north of Clovis. And the offices for Families for Children and The New Mexico Family Connection are
located in Albuquerque.
Is The Ranches a lock-up facility?
No. The Ranches is not a lockup facility. The
children are not fenced in, nor are there bars on the windows or posted guards.
Is The Ranches a residential treatment center?
No. Our programs are not designed to
assist children experiencing issues like drug addiction, violent outbursts or suicidal threats. However,
youths with these behaviors may be considered following successful treatment in a more restrictive environment.
How does your program help kids?
Children come to The Ranches from a variety of
different backgrounds and circumstances. At Boys Ranch and Girls Ranch, we provide kids with a safe
and nurturing place to live, a personalized plan that addresses behavioral and educational goals, on-campus
schools that provide individualized attention, and one-to-one counseling to help them confront the issues
that brought them to The Ranches. Through a semi-independent and transitional living environment, youths
at Pippin Ranch help develop a plan to achieve personal, behavioral and educational goals. They also learn
life skills such as opening a checking account, budgeting, buying groceries and managing personal space.
And, we provide young children in foster care with a safe, nurturing place to live and assess them for any
early intervention needs. Referrals to appropriate service providers are made as needed.
Are children forced into participating in the residential programs?
Admission to The
Ranches is voluntary, and all youth must be willing to commit to making changes in their behavior before
they are admitted.
Where do referrals come from?
Inquiries for placement come from all over the state
of New Mexico and are made by parents, juvenile courts, teachers, relatives, social welfare agencies,
and by children themselves.
What are the backgrounds of the children?
The children come from a variety of ethnic
backgrounds and income levels. And the circumstances that lead them to The Ranches range from chronic
low or failing grades to difficult family situations to minor brushes with the law to histories of abuse
and neglect. All are here to make a fresh start.
What are the ages of the children you admit?
We serve children from infancy through
age 21. Infants and children through the age of 10 are generally served through Families for Children.
Although we do place children as old as 12 in foster care, and children as young as 10 can be placed
in one of the ranches. These decisions are often made to keep siblings together. Boys Ranch and Girls
Ranch serves preteens and teens from the ages of 10 to 18, and Pippin Youth Ranch serves teens and
young adults ages 17 to 21.
How many children and families do you help each year?
We affect the lives of over
300 children and adults each year through our residential, counseling, parenting and foster care programs.
We are able to serve up to 94 children and teens at a time – 40 at Boys Ranch, 20 at Girls Ranch, 10 at
Pippin Youth Ranch and 24 through Families for Children. We serve many others through our counseling and
parenting programs.
Why do you have on-campus schools?
A common characteristic among the children who come
to The Ranches is intense negativity about school. Most are well behind their peers academically and have
been criticized and teased as a result. They often think of themselves as stupid or incapable of doing the
work, and have given up altogether. We provide accredited on-campus schools that give children the individualized
attention they need to bring them back to grade level. We have also found that academic success is often the
catalyst for changes in other areas of a youngster’s life.
Are you affiliated with a church or denomination?
No, we are not affiliated with any
religious or national organization. Support for The Ranches comes from a variety of sources: individuals,
churches, businesses, corporations and foundations. In addition, employees of The Ranches come from many
different denominational backgrounds.
Do the boys and girls receive religious instruction?
The children attend church with
Resident Advisors, and voluntary age-appropriate Bible studies are offered. As a Christian organization,
we believe that ultimate hope and meaning comes through Christ. However, our aim is unconditional respect,
care and concern for all, regardless of their religion. We encourage children to find spiritual answers,
but they make spiritual decisions based on their own choices.
How do you use animals in the program?
The animal program varies between Boys Ranch
and Girls Ranch. In general, however, we have a variety of animals such as rabbits, sheep and horses to
help children learn to give and receive unconditional acceptance and love. As they learn that animals depend
on them for food, shelter and affection, boys and girls can better understand how to relate to other people.
Our counselors and several staff members are also trained to provide Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, which
provides experiential learning opportunities using horses.
How does counseling play a part in your program?
All children at Boys Ranch and Girls
Ranch receive one-to-one counseling with licensed counselors while they are in the program. They meet weekly
or as needed to discuss progress towards goals set in the Personal Learning Plan. Counselors also help residents
confront the difficult and sometimes painful issues that brought them to The Ranches.
Do you offer help for parents?
Yes. We ask parents of children in our residential programs
to participate in counseling. Counseling for families experiencing difficulties is also offered on a limited basis.
Parenting classes are also offered to all interested adults, and we make referrals to other service providers as needed.
Why do you have a foster care program?
Young children needing out of home placement are often
better served in a more intimate setting rather than a residential group care environment. For this reason, we
offer temporary, voluntary foster care for children under the age of 12.
How long is the program?
Although it varies with each child’s situation, a typical length
of stay at one of the Ranches is 12–18 months. Voluntary foster care placements can last anywhere from a few days
to several months, depending on the needs of the family and the child.
How expensive are your fees?
Fees for services are based on a sliding scale and are determined
prior to placement. We ask all families to pay what they are able to afford, but we do not deny services for
financial reasons. Our program expenses are underwritten by the generosity of people who care about children
and invest in their future. (Please see the Foundation FAQ’s page for more information
about donations.)
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