Shanaye didn't experience much safety in her childhood—either at home or at school. "Until my dad moved out, home was a really hostile and scary place," Shanaye said. "I was abused by my father for a good portion of my life. It was just horrible."…
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In practice, Case Managers at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch are connectors—the glue that holds everything together while a child is in treatment at the Ranch. They bring together the Ranch treatment team, the child and their family, and county or Department of Juvenile Justice caseworkers; to ensure everyone is moving in the same direction and that the children and their families have a voice in their treatment.…
People often ask what makes the Ranch special. What do we do differently at the Ranch that helps kids heal? The truth is that there is not one answer to that question. We focus on every child individually and find ways to meet their specific needs. Our goal is to help our children heal and grow so they can become successful members of their families and communities—and we do that by working with them one-by-one to determine their strengths and challenges, and to find strategies that will work for them.…
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch turned 70 years old in August. In 1952, a small church congregation outside of Mapleton, ND recognized the challenges faced by the children that had been “half-orphaned” by World War II. (Like most states, North Dakota had many casualties and lasting disabilities among its male population.).…
The School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province awarded $1,000 to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch to purchase new boots for Equine Therapy for the girls on its Minot Campus.…
For several years, Dakota Memorial School has been creating a program that gives students opportunities to learn important social skills, build relationships with their teachers and peers, and obtain the knowledge and skills they need to transition back to public school or adulthood.…
“I don’t drink milk.” That’s the way the conversation between a new 10-year-old boy at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch and Sarah Streitz, one of our Food Service Angels, started.…
"My horse, Teddy, taught me how to love him and love other people. Just like Teddy, people are going to be stubborn. You have to compromise with them. You gotta give in a little bit and take a little back. I've learned so much from Teddy." -Megan, former Ranch resident…
Meagan Gelinske comes from a generous family, and the importance of giving back was instilled in her at an early age. "I learned early on to share what I had. Several of my family members are very generous and I quickly realized that giving to help others is a good way to live," Meagan said. "My Christian faith plays a large part, too."…
Most of us remember school as Math, Science, Social Studies, PE, and other classes where we sat down, listened to a teacher give a lecture, and waited for the bell to ring so we could walk out the door for our next class period. School days were full of routine, had few disruptions, and most days were similar. We had teachers who inspired us, helped us determine our future path, and provided critical feedback as we navigated this world.…
One of the great challenges of the work we do at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch is helping our children be successful when they leave our care. During treatment, we wrap children and their families in many services and supports. When a child completes treatment and goes home, the family must find these services in the community—not an easy task when they may have their own challenges and/or live in a rural area with few available services.…
The Elmer & Kaya Berg Foundation granted $1,000 to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch to update the security on its Fargo campus.…
Many of the office doors in Bremer Hall (the central building on our Minot campus) have small 8" x 10" white boards hanging on them. These boards serve a variety of purposes. Some are used to list office hours. Some give location info like, "I'm in the barn with the kids until 3 p.m." Some ask everyone who passes to vote on an important life question, "Would you rather be 10 feet tall or 10 inches tall?" (If you're curious, 10 feet tall won by a landslide.)…
The Kiwanis Club of Minot granted $744 to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch to purchase furniture for Thatcher Cottage on the Minot, ND campus, which serves boys ages 14-18.…
One of our kids is going home today. Of course, I am thrilled. We are here to “help at-risk kids and their families succeed in the name of Christ.” Part of succeeding is being able to live with a family. No child should grow up at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch…
“How old are you? Like, when’s your birthday?” I had a chance to sit on the grass next to a circle of kids on one of our campuses. They were waiting for a tardy ice cream truck, and they were so patient. Their topic of conversation was age.…
The Kiwanis Club of Fargo granted $2,500 to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch to furnish a Balanced Learning Environment (BLE) in its newly renovated library/media center in Dakota Memorial School, Fargo, the on-campus school of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch.…
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch will receive $4,000 from the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, Rocky Mountain District during the 2022-2024 biennium to support its Spiritual Life programming. Funds will be used to update lighting fixtures in the Kruse Memorial Chapel on its Minot, ND campus, part of an overall renovation of the chapel.…
One of the great challenges of being a trauma survivor is hypervigilance, which means being overly alert to danger. For children at the Ranch who have experienced abuse, neglect, or other traumatic events, nothing in life has been predictable and most surprises have caused pain. As a result, their senses and emotions are always on high alert.…
With all she has been through, Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch is a kind of home to her. It is a place where people think about her, pray for her, cheer for her, and believe in her. There may be no other place that has met that measure for her. My prayer is that she and her fiancé’ can create a home for and with each other.…
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch will receive $500 from the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, North Dakota District during the 2022-2024 biennium to support its Spiritual Life programming. Funds will be used to update lighting fixtures in the Kruse Memorial Chapel on its Minot, ND campus, part of an overall renovation of the chapel.…
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) granted $10,000 to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch to support the Spiritual Life Program on its Bismarck, ND campus. Spiritual Life services on the Bismarck campus are offered in partnership with Zion Lutheran Church.…
Every child experiences adversity. During a "typical childhood," a child will experience 3 or 4 ACES. When adversity is prolonged or extreme or consists of multiple types of adversity, those events begin to affect brain development and behavioral response.…
For the last several years, our Minot Wellness and Spiritual Life staff have partnered to create a week-long “Ranch Olympics” during the month of August. The entire campus, kids, and staff, find ways to participate and engage. Very few of the children at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch have participated in organized sports. The trauma and chaos they have faced have made it hard for them to be "joiners."…
Dr. Hannah Baczynski, Dakota Family Services Psychologist, showed this video in a staff training she did on understanding children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Her training centered around debunking myths about children with ADHD, one of the greatest ones being they could quit their behaviors if they just tried hard enough. With most of the children at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch having some level of ADHD or a related diagnosis, it is important we understand their reality.…