Ranch Raised Changing Children’s Lives With Love and Hard Work r Raising kids with hope is the focus of the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranch. The group foster care organization in Batesville views themselves as a family; they just look a little different than the typical family. The Youth Ranch was started in 1976 by the 75 sheriffs in Arkansas to help the children “falling through the cracks of society.” The goal was to create a home on a working ranch where children who were abandoned, abused or neglected could feel safe and learn to thrive. The Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranch is licensed by the state to care for up to 40 children from ages 6-17. Since its foundation, the Youth Ranch has been home to over 2,000 children. “Our mission is to prevent and alleviate child abuse and neglect through providing homes for children,” said Nancy Fulton, chief executive officer. “The kids that are here are not for behavior or discipline issues, but because they’ve been vulnerable and in bad situations. We try to raise them like they’re our own children.” The ranch currently has five cottages, three for boys and two for girls. Each cottage has house parents, who live in the home and care for the children as if they were truly related. “I love how the house parents treat us like family. You can tell they don’t do this for the money. They truly 58 ARKANSAS GROWN love us,” said Natasha, a 12-yearold who has been on the ranch five years. “We like to say we raise kids and cows.” –Matt Cleveland The name “Youth Ranch” rings true because the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranch is an actual working ranch. They have 600 acres, the majority of it being wooded, and raise 160 head of breeding cattle. The children work on the ranch during the weekends or for four hours a day in the summer. “They feed animals, groom the animals and help with hay,” said Philip Ives, chief operating officer. “The kids also have the opportunity to show livestock nationally. It teaches a lot of responsibility.” Ben, a 17-year-old that has been on the ranch for four years, has learned how to show cattle and is working on showing pigs. He had no experience with large animals before coming to the ranch, but now that is his favorite part of living there. When he decided he wanted to show pigs he had to create a budget and present it to Mrs. Nancy. Because of what he has learned at the ranch he wants to be a game warden when he graduates. But the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranch is more than just raising show animals. Currently, they raise registered Herefords and are adding Brangus (Brahman/Angus crossbreed) influence into the herd to produce a few commercial cattle (cattle that aren’t purebred or registered). Philip runs the cattle
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