Eagle Ranch is dedicated to modeling a Christ-centered family for the children entrusted to us. A committed Christian couple lives in each of the homes with the boys or girls providing the love and structure that they need. And while children may live at Eagle Ranch from elementary through high school, the program is structured to motivate them toward returning home as soon as possible. The average stay is about eighteen months to two years.
Meals are cooked in the homes to facilitate a family-type atmosphere. The houseparents and the children in their home participate in family activities such as daily devotions, regular worship services, weekend recreational activities and summer vacations. Our houseparent couples’ average tenure is four years – giving exceptional coherence and stability to the Ranch program and our children.
The children’s parents (or legal guardians such as grandparents) play an integral role in the Eagle Ranch program. Our Ranch children go home every other weekend and for holiday and school vacations. Our program is geared to promote and encourage healing in all family relationships by helping family members learn new communication skills.
From the moment a child enters the Eagle Ranch program, a professional counselor begins to implement a treatment program geared to the special needs of that child and his or her family. Our counselors meet regularly with the children and family members in individual and group sessions throughout the child’s stay at the Ranch.
Our staff of four counselors provides individual, group and family counseling. The counselors work in partnership with the houseparents, teachers and child’s family to ensure that the plan established for each child and his or her family is consistently followed.
Our goal in counseling is to identify the negative behavior patterns being exhibited in the family and help each family member learn new ways of relating to each other. We also provide monthly parent support groups to give the parents of our children a network of support and accountability.
In addition to traditional counseling services, the Ranch offers a therapeutic horse program for our girls and play therapy for our younger children.
Upon arrival, most of our children are an average of two years behind grade level. The Eagle Ranch School, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), was formed to help our middle school students ‘catch up’ through an academically intensive program with an extremely low teacher-to-student ratio – one teacher and one para-professional for every 12 children. Currently, our children in elementary school and grades 10-12 attend local public schools. Our Director of Education provides after-school tutorial assistance and skill-specific remediation programs for these children.
