Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches

Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches is a Florida nonprofit founded in 1957 by Florida Sheriffs to provide care and guidance to at-risk youth, with the stated aim of preventing delinquency and developing productive, law-abiding citizens. The organisation was established with initial founding funds of $5,000 and operates a statewide network of campuses. It reports that more than 190,000 children and families have been helped over more than 68 years of operation.

Its main programme is a network of residential child-care campuses at six Florida locations. Children live in cottages staffed by full-time houseparents who reside with them day to day, providing security, guidance and care in a family-style environment for needy and neglected boys and girls. In addition, the organisation runs summer camping programmes for children aged 10 to 15 at three locations, as well as a traveling mobile day camp that serves children beyond the fixed campus sites.

The organisation describes its work as nationally recognised and notes that its services instil work ethic, responsibility, teamwork and respect. It states that it is committed to transparency and accountability, that it holds the highest audit ratings awarded by external CPA firms, and that it carries no debt.