A Joy Ranch Blog
Have you ever wondered what life as a Houseparent is like? House parenting is a unique role like no other, filled with joys, sorrows, and everything in between. One question that every houseparent is asked frequently tends to be: “So, what do you do as a houseparent?” While this is not a simple answer, the Joy Ranch House-parenting team wants to share their stories so that you can see a glimpse into the life of a Houseparent, understand their work here at Joy Ranch and why it matters, and perhaps even search through the idea of becoming a Houseparent yourself! Run by our incredible girls’ house mom, Bethany Collins and our amazing boys’ house mom, Michelle Rash, “Tales of a Houseparent” will bring you into the dynamic world of living life as houseparents – laughs, tears, and all.
Recent Blog Posts
Exercise with the kids
Several years ago, before I worked at Joy Ranch, I felt compelled to volunteer some time each week participating in exercise with the kids at Joy Ranch. My mom had worked at the Ranch when I was a teen, and I always felt a tie to the ministry after that, plus I was a...
Holiday Celebrations
It’s that time of year again: lots of candy, stuffing ourselves with turkey and that “most wonderful time of the year” - Christmas! As we have told you before this time can be both fun and challenging at Joy Ranch. What kid (no matter how old) doesn’t love...
Fall Favorites
The days are getting shorter, the air has turned cool and crisp, and the leaves are showing off their colors. Fall is upon us and with it, all the fall festivities. Admittedly, I love this time of year because it means the Christmas season is near. And while we're...
A Healing Journey
I have a rescue cat. At the time I got Lilly, I didn’t realize the effects of trauma are similar amongst animals and humans. Don’t get me wrong, people’s brains are far more complex, but the fear, tendency to fight, and distrust are the same. Lilly was dropped off on...
An Interview with Houseparents
God is always calling us to “love the last of these” no matter who we are, where we are, how old we are or what we are doing for work.
Conversations
Although I'm not a houseparent, I was invited to contribute to our blog since I work part-time at Joy Ranch. I love being part of the "family", even though I don't get to spend nearly enough time with the kids we serve (as a homeschooling mom of my own three,...
A Time to Laugh
Community. I’ve been reminded recently how important it is. Sixteen months ago the world shut down due to COVID-19, and although many places have removed all restrictions, places like Joy Ranch are still dealing with regulations which keep us from fully engaging with...
Waffle Iron Chef
See what we did there? Since we are all still at home having to get creative we thought we would pass along some things we do here that add a little fun - as well as ease and convenience - to the "every day". Most of these ideas are self-explanatory but we’ve...
Spotlight on Cheyenne!
After taking a break on our blog for the holidays, we are back to our kid interview series. So without further ado, meet Cheyenne, our fun-loving silly girl, who regularly makes us smile. What is your favorite food?Chinese food. It was the place my mom took me for my...
Introducing Danny
We’re continuing the interviews with our children at the Ranch, and today we want to introduce you to Danny, our sweet-loving kiddo who brings joy to everyone he meets. What is your favorite food? “Chicken nuggets! But I don’t eat the chicken nuggets at school because...
Presenting Lily!
What is your favorite food? Alfredo! (Fettuccine) What is your least favorite food? Mushrooms! How do you know if a mushroom is poisonous or not? What is your favorite game? Apples to Apples What is your favorite animal?...
Introducing Edith!
We're continuing our interviews with our kiddos at the Ranch, and today we want to introduce you to Edith, our fun-loving teen who lights up a room when she smiles. What is your favorite food? “Steak! I love both steak and ribs, but if I have to pick steak is my...
About The Authors
Bethany Collins
Bethany Collins has been a houseparent at Joy Ranch since 2013. She is the perfect balance of tough but loving and kind. In addition to spending her time raising a house full of girls, she enjoys reading, watching Superhero movies, and laughing at her own jokes. There is a legend that says she is a ninja- the girls in her house attest that this is true.
Erin Austin
Erin is our Program Assistant at Joy Ranch and she has a wonderful, furry, service friend named Lucy. Our kids love spending time with Erin and Lucy on campus and out in our community.
Michelle Rash
Michelle Rash has been a boys’ house mom with Joy Ranch since 2014! Ask any one of her boys what they would describe her as and they would likely say that she is a “mama bear” through and through. On top of raising a house full of boys, Michelle and her husband also have 2 beautiful daughters. Michelle has a relational heart and loves deep conversations, midnight runs to Wal-Mart, and is secretly married to Batman.
Interested in Houseparenting?
Download our Houseparent Brochure and visit our Employment page for more information!