Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Sheriff's Ranches Aid Children

It's no secret there are children in Arkansas with no one to turn to, or a place to go.

These children wander the streets at night, seeking any food or shelter they can find. They also turn to crime because they have nothing to lose by being caught. In fact, some are intentionally arrested so they will have a place to stay and regular meals.

This is part of the message the Gurdon Rotary Club heard Thursday, May 29, during its regular meeting.

Mike Cumnock, executive director of the Arkansas Sheriffs' Boys' and Girls' Ranches, located in Harding and Batesville, spoke to the Rotarians on what the ranches do and how they help children in need.

The concept of this type of facility, he said, began in Florida and is primarily a southern idea. This is because sheriff's in the South are dominant community figures.

However, Cumnock said, this idea is beginning to spread, as a similar ranch have been started in Maryland, and one is in the works in Montana.

According to Cumnock, the ranches get about five requests daily for children needing their services. At this time, he said, there is a waiting list with 17 young people on it.

He said the ranches try to get those young people in need the help they require in their own communities if this is possible. At times, these children are relocated with different relatives, or placed in foster care.

But many of these young people find themselves on the wrong side of the legal system. Cumnock said the majority of crimes they commit are non-violent offenses, sticking to breaking or entering and shoplifting -- the two crimes most committed by children.

The ranches, he said, rarely accept young people who have serious criminal histories.

Cumnock told the Rotarians there are times children in need will shoplift at a store, and repeatedly go back until they are intentionally caught with the item they stole.

Another part of this tragedy, he said, is many of these youngsters have been neglected not only emotionally, but medically. He told of one young man who came to the ranch with ear infections so bad he required surgery, and wound up with hearing aids in both ears.

When questioned about the infection hurting, the young man said it hurt for the first couple of years. Cumnock said the infection was so bad when this young man tilted his head, infectious material ran out.

One of the best things about the ranch, he said, is those admitted can stay as long as they need to. Some stay for several years and go on to attend college.

Cumnock said the sheriffs in all 75 counties in the state participate in the program and support the ranches.

The Batesville ranch is on a 28 acre farm, while the Harding one sits on 87 acres. These are working ranches, Cumnock said, with those admitted required to work.

The entire concept of the Sheriffs' Ranches, he said, is based on the concept of the 1940's farm families. These ranches raise vegetables, hay and cattle.

There are four cottages which house 10 juveniles each on the ranches, with more bed space needed. Currently, Cumnock said, there are 257 young people on the two ranches.

Cumnock said the children are told the ranch will do 50 percent of what they need, with them being required to furnish the other half. This helps instill a sense of pride and accomplishment in the children, most getting this for the first time in their lives.

He told of one teenage boy who came home from school one day only to find his family had moved off without him. He was lucky enough to be accepted to the ranch and worked his way through college.

Cumnock said the ranches would like to build one in the south central part of the state, and the Gurdon area would be ideal because of its location.

The Sheriffs' Ranch was established in 1976 and is a non-profit corporation sponsored by the Arkansas Sheriffs' Association.

It is a permanent home for abused, neglected children in need of supervision.

The main source of income for the ranches, Cumnock said, comes from private donation.

According to information from the Sheriffs' Ranch, it is an opportunity for the children to develop their self-esteem and prepare for productive adulthood.

It is also an opportunity for them to get their high school, college or other education.

These ranches are also places where the children can make friends and "belong" to a family for the first time in their lives.

The philosophy of the Sheriffs' Ranch is: "It's easier to build a child than to repair an adult."

Cumnock said the acceptance of a child to the ranch is based on need, though the administrators of the program don't like to take children below the age of six.