Ranch History

The year 2007 at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch marks the beginning of 55 years of service to at-risk youth across the nation.

In 1952 The Good Samaritan Society turned their Ranch over to the N.D. District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. That year also marked the formation of the Dakota Boys Ranch Association as a recognized, but independent mission of the LCMS. It is now also a recognized service provider of the ELCA. The Ranch has grown to be supported by people from all religions, cultures, ages and backgrounds.

 Thousands of friends across the nation are committed to the Ranch’s goal and mission of helping at-risk children and their families succeed in the name of Christ. The children served by the Ranch suffer from severe emotional, behavioral and developmental challenges.

The Ranch has six programs located in Minot, Fargo and Bismarck, North Dakota. Funding is augmented by its seven thrift stores, located in Minot, Bismarck, Devils Lake, Grand Forks and Fargo, N.D., and Moorhead, Minn.

The Ranch’s treatment programs are accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

The newest program at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch is the Transition to Community Mentoring Program, which is being funded by an appropriations grant through the U.S. Department of Justice. The funding period for this grant continues through January 31, 2007, and it is anticipated that with current and continued evidence of statewide and community support by agencies, churches and individuals, that this program will become an established program at the Ranch. The program is staffed by one agency-wide mentoring coordinator and three site coordinators in Minot, Fargo and Bismarck.

The most recent change at the Minot Campus in 2006 is the construction of a 7,493.s.f. addition onto the current Dakota Memorial School, which will incorporate spaces for: a classroom for youth transitioning from our Bismarck Western Plains program to the Minot Campus (developmentally challenged); an elementary classroom for youth who need additional individualized attention at the K-6 grade level; an independent living training center, for youth to learn how to function in apartment style living; a business/technology area for students to learn employability skills such as time management, customer services, stocking shelves, cleaning, organization, time cards, payroll, and how to make change. The addition also will include space for additional teachers and administrative staff and a conference room for student and teacher meetings.

Other organizational changes include a move toward campus-wide leaders, with support staff at each of its three campuses. In the past two years, Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch has established campus-wide leaders for spiritual life, residential coordination, case management, tribal liaison, nursing, training and the afore-mentioned mentoring program.

Statistics show that hundreds of children and thousands of family members have been helped by services provided through the Ranch. From 1952 to 2006, the most accurate estimates show that nearly 26,000 children, families and social service workers and agencies have been impacted by Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. In North Dakota alone, the Ranch has served children from 192 cities and towns, including rural areas. Overall it has served children from 36 states. And, as evidenced by the sharp increase in numbers of residents these past five years, the Ranch will continue to be sought and will seek to provide service for an ever-increasing population of at-risk children.

Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch is the second largest social service agency in the state. It is one of the top 100 largest employers in North Dakota (sixth largest in Minot), with a $20 million budget and more than 400 employees. Recent estimates show that Dakota Boys Ranch has an $80 million economic impact on the state.

For more information and a year-by-year documented history, email: ctisom@hotmail.com and request “The Complete Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch History.”