A New Vision for the Boys Ranch

An unwavering commitment to provide exceptional, Christ-centered services and support to children, youth and families has been at the heart of the mission at Methodist Children’s Home since 1890. Over the years, MCH has responded to the evolving needs of youth with compassion and innovation. Today, MCH is a nationally recognized leader in childcare, equipped with expertise and resources to follow God’s call to serve the most vulnerable.

The number of youth who have experienced trauma and have elevated, more complex needs is at an unprecedented level and the gap between this growing demographic and caregivers trained and licensed to provide specialized care continues to widen. Without viable options, many adolescents remain underserved and some without placement options at all.

Following prayerful consideration, the leadership of MCH, led and supported by the Board of Directors, has responded to this crisis by expanding services beyond the traditional MCH Basic Care service model. MCH is launching a new program at the MCH Boys Ranch in 2024 tailored to meet the unique emotional and behavioral challenges of youth with higher-level, specialized needs.
By God’s grace and provision, MCH continues to be uniquely resourced and positioned to provide transformative care relevant to the needs of this present-day crisis. Those placed at the Boys Ranch will receive support from professionals trained to cultivate personal growth and development.

As a way to communicate with MCH friends and supporters, members of the MCH Executive Management Team addressed specific questions about the new Boys Ranch programming in a Q&A discussion with Sunshine magazine.

SUNSHINE: Why are we launching this new program of service at the Boys Ranch?

TREY OAKLEY, PRESIDENT AND CEO: Since 1890, MCH has responded to the ever-changing needs of children, youth and families. This new initiative at our Boys Ranch continues this legacy. Our current strategic plan builds on the previous plan which challenges MCH to continually examine current services and how they best meet the needs of families and communities. The strategic plan compels us to do more where we can to be a relevant and ongoing help to those who need our ministry most.

Every day we receive inquiries from families who cannot find placements for children with higher levels of need than can be served in their home, a traditional foster home or Basic Care program like we have operated at our Waco campus and Boys Ranch. With the addition of our new homes on the Waco campus, we had to ask some challenging questions about what role we could and should have in serving children who in many cases have nowhere to go based on current behaviors. We covered this in prayer and years of research and planning. We realized the time is now to see if we can be part of the solution for the challenges facing this population. It has been a commitment that has touched every part of this ministry and our leadership team.

TRACI WAGNER, VICE PRESIDENT FOR PROGRAMS: According to the Foster Care Needs Assessment performed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (TDFPS), as of Oct. 17, 2023, there is a need for 348 treatment placements in the state of Texas. Methodist Children’s Home has long been aware of the crisis facing children in out-of-home placements that require more specialized services. Given our longstanding success in residential care, MCH can assist in this crisis and has capacity to expand programming to include this population of children. MCH, with its broad continuum of care, will support these children and families well while in care and assist in facilitating their long-term success upon their return home, or find placement in a less-restrictive environment.

OAKLEY: This was not an easy decision and the work will be challenging. We will be successful because of who God is and promises to be first and foremost. My confidence also comes from these on the executive team who are leading this effort. These vice presidents and their teams have a level of expertise and commitment that will foster success even when we hit challenging moments – and we will. Our Board of Directors has stood with us throughout this process and we know we have their support and that of our many friends to make this important step for families and communities.

SUNSHINE: Who will we be serving through this program?

WAGNER: MCH has developed the MCH Boys Ranch Residential Services Program to support our work with children and families that need out-of-home placement for male children either through voluntary placement or TDFPS placement. It will be reserved for male children who require a higher level of care and are identified as a moderate-plus placement. MCH is dedicated to providing a continuum of care to caregivers/guardians, their children and extended families. The Boys Ranch will continue to provide these supportive and strengths-based services. This includes equipping them with tools and resources that will promote healthy, healing relationships, caregiving practices and interactions, and a connectedness to a network of support. The difference will be the unique characteristics that are often in a child who has experienced the level of trauma that produces more intensive behaviors and responses.

The end goal will be to help those we serve and their families move toward a healthy, safe and stable family environment. This includes the provision of high quality, evidence-informed services to meet the needs of families and children engaged in MCH services.

SUNSHINE: How will this program differ from ways we have operated on the Waco campus and what we have done previously at the Boys Ranch?

OAKLEY: Services at the Boys Ranch will be extensive and focus on safety, guidance, education, and expert emotional and spiritual support, just as we do on the Waco campus. Our goal in this new initiative is to first and foremost provide a safe, caring and nurturing place for young men whose past experiences and decisions leave them very few, if any, options for placement in
a traditional residential program. In doing so, Boys Ranch residents can begin to embrace their God-given potential and flourish through our innovative, trauma-proven services. Even in a more structured program setting, Boys Ranch residents will see lots of recreational opportunities and chances to connect with nature and things special to life on a ranch. Cornerstones of this program will be to provide residents with a chance to encounter a loving God who will never leave them, and acquire the education as well as a trade and life skills that can help them be productive members of their families and communities.

BROOKE DAVILLA, VICE PRESIDENT FOR ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS: There will also be a distinct difference in staffing between the programs. In our Basic Care model, we have a combination of live-in home parents who serve seven days on duty and then have seven days off. We also have a shiftwork model where staff work a traditional eight-hour shift so there is always 24-hour awake staff. We will follow the shiftwork model at the Boys Ranch, along with increased levels of medical and counseling services.

SUNSHINE: Are there reasons for the shortage of agencies willing and able to provide this care? What compels MCH leadership to step into this space?

JULIE MITCHELL, VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE: There are probably many reasons we could discuss, but one we hear most often is the high cost associated with this work. Our ministry has a record of strong stewardship that has allowed us to be in this place to consider a new program. We know the important decisions made by those who came before us and in recent years have provided what we need to explore and act on big things like this new initiative. With that being said, we still have to be disciplined in our budgeting, planning and implementation.

WAGNER: Funding this type of program launch is a great investment and it is hard work. Many agencies with the best of intentions and a heart for this population just don’t have the resources. Many doing this work rely on the contract funding that only comes after children are in placement.

OAKLEY: Our leadership team and Board of Directors recognize the amazing resources with which we have been entrusted by our generous donors, sound stewardship and what has been accomplished since our founding, especially during recent years. We know much has been given to us and we take seriously the expectation that much is required of those who serve at MCH. There are others who may have the desire, but not the ability or resources to take on a new initiative like this one. We know the work will not be easy, but we have the people, vision and support to do this and do it well for the children, youth and families we have the privilege to serve.

DAVILLA: Having seen this from the program side and now in my role with organizational effectiveness – which includes human resources, training and employee culture – I think it can be intimidating to take this step with the challenge of finding the right people to carry out the mission. We continue to be intentional at MCH to do what we can to find the right people who will thrive as employees and then give our very best to keep them encouraged and serving at the highest level.

SUNSHINE: How will this program be staffed?

WAGNER: The Boys Ranch will be operated by direct care staff with support from a case manager, supervisor, program administrator, administrative support, as well as behavioral health and medical teams. Educational needs will be met onsite in the Fern Cone School by our partners at the University of Texas – University Charter School. Spiritual development, basic medical services and recreation will be provided onsite.

DAVILLA: We will build on our experience, proven trauma-informed practices and the expertise of peer organizations already operating in this space. We are confident we will provide those in our care with the highest level of services and staff who will deliver those services on a daily basis.

SUNSHINE: Will training be given to get new staff up to speed or is MCH hiring staff already possessing higher levels of training?

WAGNER: Specialized training is required to serve this population of children. For reference, our current direct care staff are required to complete 30 hours
of training annually. The direct care staff assigned to the Boys Ranch will be required to complete 50 hours of annual training. There are also specific pre-service training and skill requirements for staff coming to the Boys Ranch.

DAVILLA: Our Training staff has been hard at work to utilize the most innovative trauma-informed practices in order to serve this new population. The higher levels of training requirements are important in so many ways. We can equip staff with the cutting-edge skills they need to be successful while also using each and every training session to infuse and strengthen our MCH culture.

SUNSHINE: What changes are being made to the infrastructure of the Boys Ranch?

MITCHELL: We have been hard at work creating and now implementing actions from our Boys Ranch Master Plan (BRMP). The BRMP evaluated every building on a number of criteria. Some changes were needed because many of the Boys Ranch structures are approaching 50 years since they were built. Other changes were required because some things that may have been a nonissue in a home serving children placed in basic care cannot be present serving a population with increased needs. This would include safety features that might not have been available when the original buildings were built.

LYLE MASON, VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT: The construction of new homes, including two scheduled to break ground in January, are part of the Boys Ranch Master Plan. With safety a priority and in accordance with childcare licensing and minimum standards, the homes will include a floor plan and special features customized for youth with higher needs. Although safety is a priority, the beautiful aesthetic will reflect the look and feel you’d expect from a ranch house. We’re very excited about these and future capital projects.

SUNSHINE: How have donors been involved already and what are funding opportunities in the future?

OAKLEY: Our Advancement staff has been very effective already in securing funding needed to renovate existing structures and provide the new facilities needed to launch and sustain this program. Our Board of Directors has also unanimously supported the allocation of resources to get the Boys Ranch ready to accept our first residents early in 2024. I know this support from our donors and leadership will continue as we experience everything that will occur in the days to come.

MASON: We have secured almost $3 million in donations toward new capital projects at the Ranch. Additionally, in an effort to expedite necessary renovations and the launch of new programming at the Boys Ranch, our Board directed a significant amount of MCH-designated funds in support of associated costs. This generous response from
our donors and action taken by MCH leadership reflect the importance and excitement surrounding our expansion of services. As plans develop, we look forward to presenting specific projects and meaningful giving opportunities to those that share our heart for youth we’ll be serving.

SUNSHINE: How quickly will this new program be operational:

WAGNER: Contingent on how quickly the program can be staffed and progress made in renovations, issuance of permit, license and contracts, we anticipate opening for the placement of youth in early January.

DAVILLA: Staffing is the ongoing challenge not just for MCH but across the nation. This is especially true when you look at jobs that require direct care with young people who need extra grace and where results often take time. We keep our commitment to do everything we can to only connect those in our care with staff who truly believe in our mission.

MITCHELL: I think getting the program started is such a big task with allocation of resources, recruitment strategies, licensing applications and the list goes on and on. Then there is the realization that all of this is just to get to day one and the first placement. But we know our established budget planning practices will help ensure we are in this for the long haul even after the initial launch. And that is what matters.

SUNSHINE: What will be the measurement for success of this program?

WAGNER: Success will be measured first by how fast and well we can staff the program and then place children at the Boys Ranch. Program success will
be measured by: 1. Ensuring youth are safe in care; 2. Youth avoid high-risk behaviors; 3. Youth make spiritual and educational gains; 4. Families, when possible, engage in the care and development of the youth; 5. Youth complete the program as planned and acquire skills that are part of living life to the fullest.

OAKLEY: We already have the structure in place to help ensure authentic accountability in the services we deliver. Those templates will be used and modified to speak directly to our successes as well as areas that will need improvement in this new program. We celebrate where we are meeting and exceeding goals and continually press on to ensure excellence here, just as we do in all our programs. Ultimately, our success will be seen in the lives of children who accept the challenge to grow and overcome, pursue educational development, experience the love of Christ, and are equipped to flourish in their next chapter of life. •

For more information about job openings at the MCH Boys Ranch, visit MCH.org/career-opportunities.

Quick Facts from the Q&A

What is a moderate and moderate+ child?

MCH creates an individual plan for every child and family served and firmly believes all in our care are much more than any label placed on them. We share the graphic below to help readers see the difference between the populations that will be served by the Waco campus and soon by the Boys Ranch. The descriptions are a resource from Department of Family and Protective Services using industry-accepted terms to guide who can be placed with particular providers like MCH.

Waco Campus Basic Care:

• Transient difficulties and occasional misbehavior;
• Acting out in response to stress, but episodes of acting out are brief;
• Behavior that is minimally disturbing to others, but the behavior is considered typical for the child’s age and can be corrected;
• A child with intellectual or developmental disabilities whose characteristics include minor to moderate difficulties with conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills.

Boys Ranch Moderate+:

• Frequent and/or unpredictable nonviolent, antisocial acts;
• Occasional physical aggression;
• Being markedly withdrawn and isolated;
• Minor self-injurous actions;
• Difficulties that present a moderate risk of harm to self or others;
• Substance abuse to the extent or frequency that the child is at risk of substantial problems;
• A historical diagnosis of substance abuse or dependency with a need of regular community support through groups or similar interventions.

Will the Boys Ranch residents go to chapel?

Spiritual development and sharing the good news of the hope we find in Jesus Christ is at the heart of all we do. Boys Ranch residents will attend a weekly chapel service at the Ranch. Our MCH Spiritual Development team already does a great job of providing creative worship experiences in addition to traditional Bible studies in homes. We will continue this approach in the new Boys Ranch program and are excited about the opportunities.

Will students from the Waco campus still get to visit the Boys Ranch?

This new program has very specific guidelines about not combining with our Basic Care program. The Waco campus and Boys Ranch will operate under different licenses so they will no longer share some services. With that being said, one of our areas of growth in recent years has been in our Outdoor Education department. Students from the Waco campus will still have outings to our Turkey Trap Lake located at the Boys Ranch, access to our growing horsemanship program and be able to participate in FFA which utilizes show animals kept at the Boys Ranch. Experiences in nature are an important part of our programs and that will continue for all we serve.

Will the Boys Ranch students still come to campus for school?

As part of this newly licensed program at the Boys Ranch, we are excited about our chance to educate students onsite at the Fern Cone School. This will honor the requirement for the programs to be separate while also allowing us to work with our friends at the University of Texas Charter School System to create the specialized education program the residents will need. For many years the Boys Ranch used the Fern Cone School and as a tribute we have revived the Mustangs as the mascot for the new school.