There are a lot of things about houseparenting that people are unsure of: What is a houseparent? Are the kids orphans? Are you foster care? Who pays for their care? Why do you have these kids? Etc., etc., etc.   Because there is so much that can be unclear, we do, at times, run into…

I pulled the door tightly closed behind me and made it to my room just in time for the tears to begin falling down my face. I sank into my bed, buried my face in my hands, and began to weep, no longer able to suffocate the pain welling up inside. Some days, this job…

Last week Michelle wrote about what a house parent is – and is not. We both agree that an important piece of understanding that is having a better sense of the population we work with. Michelle mentioned that we are not: Camp counselors – this isn’t a summer camp.  Drill sergeants – this is not…

  • So, you’ve learned a little bit about what Joy Ranch is and is not. Bethany has shared some killer tips and tricks of the “trade” we use around here. I’ve taken you on a tour of Leebrick cottage. Now I suppose you’d like to know what exactly is a “house parent,” right? We…

Anyone who works with children will tell you that it often becomes easy to spend too much time focusing on the negative; it can be hard to remember the positives – or have time to celebrate them. It has been stated, by researchers with the Harvard Business Review that a ratio of five positive comments…

With Easter just wrapping up I think it is important to take some time to talk about holidays. (For this blog we’ll focus on just those that come in the Spring.) They can be hard for so many different reasons. When you are raising a house full of other people’s children any one of those…

Hello, again! If you were to stop by our campus, you would be greeted with friendly faces and people who are glad you stopped by. They would be happy to answer your questions and tell you what this place called Joy Ranch is all about. And then you’d be invited on a tour to see…