Matthew Cleveland

Arkansas Sheriffs' Youth Ranches

The mission of the Arkansas Sheriffs' Youth Ranches is to provide safe, healthy, and loving care for children who need a place to call home. But the Ranch is much more than a warm bed and three meals a day. It's also a place where boys and girls get a second chance to be a kid and a place where a child can grow into a loving, caring, and responsible adult. The Ranch was founded in 1976 by a group of concerned sheriffs as a shelter for boys. What began with one mobile home in Independence County has now grown to three residential campuses providing homes for boys and girls, two of which are working ranches. Children come to the Ranch because they need a place to call home. Some have been abandoned, abused, and neglected. Others may come from families who through difficult circumstances can no longer care for their child. We provide these boys and girls with what we believe is the birthright of every child—the right to health care, educational opportunities, and a loving, safe home environment with people who care—not only for them—but about them, as well. There is no "up-and-out" policy at the Ranch. We support each child's educational dreams by helping them attend college, vocational or technical training, or an apprenticeship program. No matter how long a child stays, the Ranch will be a place of stability and caring support. For more information, visit www.YouthRanches.com.