This is the time of year many people are reflecting on the previous year and looking to make goals for the year in front of them. As an agency, we are no different. We look at the characteristics of the children we cared for, why we had to deny the placement of other children, the families we licensed, and the adoptions that were made. There is always a flow of families in and out. When families adopt, they most often no longer foster. So, we must license new families in order to keep caring for children. Last year we served 90 children, had 12 adoptions, and licensed 12 new families.

One of our goals we are setting for our future is to license more families who can take sibling groups. It is always the first choice to keep siblings together; however, they are often split into different foster homes. It is hard for many families to take multiple children because of space in their home or because they have several children of their own.

Another goal is to license families who are fluent in Spanish as well as English. We are getting more and more children who only speak Spanish and we are often not able to serve them. We need to be able to communicate with them and don’t want the language barrier to be the reason we can’t provide care for them.

Our ultimate goal at the Ranch is to provide quality care for every child we serve. We want to make sure all of their needs are met. Not just their basic needs, but their emotional, spiritual, educational, and social needs as well.