Blog

Despite his progress in treatment, Scott struggled to transition from the Ranch back home with his family. “Every six months or so, they would try to transition me back into the house, but it was really abrupt,” Scott said. Eventually,…

When asked how he got to Dakota Memorial School (DMS), the on-campus school of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Mason set the tone with his ever-present sense of humor. “Well, it’s a bit of a story so make sure you…

Eli is quiet and seems to be listening intently. Then he gets angry and lashes out, just when the person talking with him thinks things are going well. His anger seems unprovoked and unanticipated. Just a second ago he was…

When Maliya came to the Ranch at age 16, she was depressed and suicidal. “My childhood was really challenging,” Maliya said. “I didn’t really have a grip on reality because I was hallucinating a lot from a medication I was…

The children who come to the Ranch have often come from chaos and crisis. Many have learned to be hypervigilant and alert for danger or unfulfilled needs. When they come to the Ranch, life is largely consistent and predictable. We…

How many of you remember your childhood chores with fondness? I certainly don’t! Cleaning my room, taking out the trash, vacuuming, or emptying the dishwasher took time away from the fun things I would have much rather been doing. As…

Twenty-three years after his retirement, Larry Knutson continues to impact the children at the Ranch—not only through the strong organization he left behind, but through his donations and his relentless sharing of the Ranch’s mission. Over the last couple years,…

16-year-old Avalon is a kind, gentle, and talented young woman, despite the challenges that brought her to the Ranch. She was born in Nebraska as the youngest of 12 siblings and moved to North Dakota in 2016. It was a…

By the time kids get to treatment at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, they have likely been to many therapists, psychiatrists, and psychologists. They are fluent in everything related to therapy. They’ve learned about cognitive behavior modification, how to identify…

When Barbara Pingel cares about something, she goes all in. As a supporter of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Barbara writes to Ranch residents as a Hope Notes pen pal, sends boxes of puzzles, makes regular donations, directs Thrivent Choice…

When a ministry team from Hip Hop & Hope spent the day with the kids at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Dayson made a special connection with keynote speaker Artie Gonzales. “I felt like Artie and I had something in…

“They said, ‘No’, but she did the work and they said, ‘Yes.’” Anne came to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch at the worst time of her complicated life. Her family was in chaos. A close family member had died by…

When our Bismarck campus was first designed, the plan was to serve children with developmental delays who would be able to attend church in the community. As we completed the construction of the facility, it became clear that the need…

We have a lovely 12-year-old girl in our care at the Ranch. She is kind and thoughtful and the first to step up and help. She is smart. She has eyes as dark as coal and beautiful, long reddish-brown hair….

Last summer, Rev. Victor Tegtmeier, along with his son and daughter, drove onto the Minot campus of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. Rev. Tegtmeier’s wife had recently passed away, and he was taking their two children on a cross-country tour…

Jerome Schneider is a handsome young farmer full of energy and light. He is passionate about farming and ranching and while he doesn’t claim to have everything figured out, he is proud of the man he has become. Jerome’s life…

According to Dr. Meryl Willert, Ranch children fall into one of three categories when it comes to religion and spirituality. How we work with them depends on where they are in that spiritual journey. “It is our role to introduce…

We talk a lot about trauma-informed care here at the Ranch—it is a philosophy of care we take very seriously in both our treatment and education environments. But it can be a difficult concept to understand—both for new Ranch employees…

A few months ago, a hurting young boy I’ll call Ben came to the Ranch. Ben was largely nonverbal and hadn’t been to school since 2018. He spent his first two weeks at the Ranch refusing to leave his room….

“I’m hangry!” she said to her therapist. And the therapist celebrated! So, here’s the rest of the story. First, I’ve raised three kids to adulthood. One thing I learned is that teenagers eat a lot. All the time. They are…

Robert grew up with his dad. “My mom couldn’t handle all of us at once, so she put me with my dad. I’ve lived with him since I was born,” he said. Robert said his dad has always worked hard…

Sometimes, working at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch can be tough. These kids have endured so much. They have experienced trauma and/or the ravages of mental illness – which is certainly a trauma in itself. They have developed behaviors and…

He was standing in the corner in the hallway of the school, crying really hard, with a Treatment Specialist by his side. I was confused. I had just seen this child in our chapel services at Dakota Boys and Girls…

Deep nasolabial folds are part of my family’s genetic profile. My mom and dad both had prominent ones, as do my siblings. They’re those wrinkles that run from the sides of your nose to the corners of your mouth. I…