Edgewood Children's Ranch, Inc.

Our goal is to rehabilitate youth-at-risk as well and impacting positive change within the family.
The children currently in our program and those who have completed our program are better equipped to
function in the home, school and community. 

We are teaching them respect, for themselves as well as other, appropriate behaviors and responsibility, therefore reducing delinquent behaviors.  They are achieving appropriate grade level and success, therefore keeping them on track to return to public school and ultimately receive their high school diploma.  They now have the tools and opportunity to be successful, contributing citizens and not a burden on the community.

In order to affect long-term goals and success, the following components of our program all work together.

Cottage Life:
Many children exhibit negative and inappropriate behavior due to problems stemming from circumstances in their home life (physical, emotional or sexual abuse) while others have suffered from neglect.  Up to 8 children live in each cottage with a set of Cottage Parents.  Our Cottage Parents live here, full-time,
with children of their own.  This is an important part of the healing process because the children, many for the first
time, experience what a loving, caring family is all about.  Learning is not limited to the classroom at Edgewood.  The majority of our children are sadly lacking in social skills, self esteem, responsibility, cooperative attitude and respect for others.  Their life in the cottage provides them with multiple opportunities to develop these necessary skills.  For most, it becomes the first time they are part of a functioning, supportive family; the first time they have
responsibility around the house and have others counting on them; the first time they are taught how to get along with others and in a group.

 School:
Many of the children entering the program at Edgewood Children’s Ranch are behind in school and some are not able to read at their appropriate grade level.  There is little hope for them to catch up in the public school system.    Our curriculum consists of PACES, which allows the students to work at their own speed, therefore achieving the success they were unable to attain in public school. The objective of the program at Edgewood Children’s Ranch is to provide a learning environment that enables the students to excel.  More than ninety percent of our children had grade averages over 80% for the past school year. 

Counseling: 
Each child at the Ranch is assigned one of our two case managers and participates in regularly scheduled visits.  In these private sessions, the children are encouraged to look for solutions to the problems in their lives and to come to terms with family relationships. This component of our program allows our children to address issues of concern, anger management, divorce, and promote social skills and self-esteem.

 Parent Support Program:
In order to break the cycle of dysfunctional families, it is our firm belief that to help the child you must also help the parent(s).  They both must agree to willingly participate in Edgewood’s program.  The parent(s) must attend
weekly parenting classes in which they are taught the critical skills necessary to parent effectively.  These classes
cover important issues such as how to raise a teenager, building a healthy family, empowering parents to discipline effectively and manage conflict.  The objective of parenting classes is to strengthen our families through education and provide an environment of encouragement and support.