Admissions Process For Kids

The children who live at El Ranchito de los Niños come to us because they had to be separated from their families. The separation can be a result of physical and sexual child abuse, parents who are on drugs, are in jail, or sometimes the child has no parents and no place to go. El Ranchito de los Niños provides these kids a loving, safe home, and placement can be either permanent or long-term. El Ranchito is an alternative to the foster care system where so often kids are not only taken away from their parents, but are separated from their brothers and sisters.

The majority of our children come to El Ranchito de los Niños from a referral from family members; oftentimes the recommendation comes from a grandparent. El Ranchito receives a child with blessings from the parents and family, and our relationship with them is not adversarial.

El Ranchito recognizes the importance of keeping the children who have come to live here in touch with safe members of their biological families. El Ranchito diligently tries to accomplish this by helping with family visits, and fostering the honoring of their cultural heritage.

El Ranchito is a Community Home, a legal designation, which means that we accommodate children with needs that can be addressed effectively in out-patient counseling. At minimum, a Power of Attorney will be required for each child to live at the home.

All children and sibling groups, ages 0-18, are considered for admission to the home. El Ranchito does not discriminate against any child based on age, gender, race, national origin, religion or disability. All applicants are evaluated by a screening committee in order to determine if our home is the correct placement for them, and that both the children and the home complement each other. We can accept children from anywhere in the United States.