Residential Care

The cornerstone and pride of the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches is its nationally renown network of residential child-care campuses, an array of cottages and villas scattered throughout the state of Florida offering a stable home to needy children.

By utilizing the Boys Ranch/Live Oak, Youth Villa/Bartow, and Youth Ranch/Safety Harbor, the Youth Ranches trained and devoted staff are well-equipped to nurture needy, neglected boys and girls, and provide a warm sense of security, guidance and tenderness.

Youth are cared for by "cottage parents," who help develop a strong work ethic, sense of responsibility, teamwork and respect in each boy and girl.

Eligibility requirements for residential care are as follows:

Legal guardian and youth must be legal residents of the state of Florida.
Youth must be between 8 and 18 years of age.
Youth must be of average or above average intelligence.
Youth must not pose a threat to self or others.
Youth must not be a serious, habitual offender.
Youth must be able to physically participate in program activities.
Youth agrees to participate in religious activities.
Youth must perform in public school setting or another alternative educational program.
Youth must not have alcohol or drug dependency.
Youth must be willing to work on personal problems.
Youth must be recommended by the local Sheriff.

Accessibility and Auxiliary Aids Plan for Clients Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

For the Youth Ranches Accessibility Plan, click here.

For more information about admission to the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches Residential Care Program, please complete the form below. One of our Family Engagement Specialists will follow up with you after receiving the submitted interest form.

Please remember to put the county you live in on the interest form so we can assign a Family Engagement Specialist to you.

If you have additional questions please call 1-800-765-2697.

Residential Care Interest Form

For more information about admission to the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches Residential Care Program, please complete the form below. If you have additional questions please call 1-800-765-2697.
In order to assign a Family Engagement Specialist to return your call, you must provide the Florida County in which you live, into the form below.

Your First Name *

Your Last Name: *

Youth Name *

County You Live In: *

Phone: *

Email: *

Reason for seeking residential care: *

You can download a copy of our residential application below:

When you click the button below it will download a copy of the application to your computer. Open it up, fill it out, save it, and then email it to FamilyEngagementSpecialist@youthranches.org.

If you are unable to fill out the application found below, please fill out the interest form above and a Family Engagement Specialist will contact you.