Ranch Ehrlo Society will fill a void in child welfare residential services with the inception of a new emergency receiving services program.
The program will exclusively provide temporary emergency care to youth awaiting placement, and will not be part of the Ranch Ehrlo residential treatment intake.
“The Ministry of Social Services- South Region has entered into negotiations with Ranch Ehrlo to provide emergency receiving services for the region for children ages 12 to 15 on a short-term basis up to 30 days,” said Malcolm Neill, Vice-President of Residential Services at Ranch Ehrlo. “Our function would be to provide a safe place for children to live while the Ministry develops a plan. Many of the children that will be coming into this program will be coming into care for the first time.”
Youth coming into the new emergency receiving services program will live in the recently renovated six-bedroom Rorison House at the Pilot Butte campus. The house will be staffed with a youth care leader and unit manager. Ranch staff will provide daily observational reporting, said Malcolm, but the Ministry of Social Services will ultimately be responsible for developing a service plan determining reunification, referral, placement or alternative measures.
“It is important for children to have caring and nurturing adults who are prepared to support them when they are in need, and when decisions are being made about a long-term plan,” said Malcolm. “This program is absolutely needed in the province.”
In June 2012, government announced they would continue to partner with community-based organizations to support children and youth in care, but would no longer directly operate residential facilities. Three emergency receiving services in Saskatchewan were closed in 2012 and two additional facilities – Dales House in Regina and Red Willow Centre in Saskatoon – are scheduled for closure this year.
The Ranch Ehrlo emergency receiving services program will begin operations sometime this month.
For more information, contact Malcolm Neill at (306) 781-1812.
