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KidzArk
Sterling, Colorado
Jay and Linda Littlefield, Directors
970-522-5775
kidzark@kci.net www.kidzark.org
“In 1994 two families, the Littlefields and the Wests, founded
Childrens ARK, Inc. to meet an
existing and ongoing need for residential treatment facilities
in Colorado.” They eventually acquired four
facilities, then decided the
four facilities could be better managed if divided, allowing one
couple to oversee the operations in each
of the two locations. The Littlefields
retained the facilities in Sterling and New Raymer, which make
up what is now called KidzArk, a Colorado licensed residential
treatment center.
KidzArk treats adolescents from the ages of 9 to 18 who are
suffering from abuse, neglect
and emotional issues. It provides
24 hour supervision and care
in two locations, Sterling and
New Raymer. “During awake hours
we try to maintain a one to five
ratio of staff to residents.”
Currently the Sterling facility
is licensed for 36 girls, with
three houses, house parents
and residential support staff.
There are relief house parents
and awake overnight staff. The
New Raymer Ranch is licensed
for 24 boys with a 1500-acre working
ranch with horses, goats, chickens
and other animals. The boys receive
the same clinical services as
the girls. Their on-grounds school is in Sterling.
Licensed professional counselors provide individual, group, milieu
therapy, and they have a "full time nurse, recreational therapist,
MSW, clinical psychologist, and
consulting adolescent psychiatrist." They
offer therapeutic animal programs
with border dogs and horses, as well as horticulture, a pool,
computer lab, and a gymnasium,
with opportunities to participate
in public school athletics. They also have regularly scheduled
enrichment trips to places
such as the Black Hills and Rocky
Mountain National Park.
Their Jackie Reynolds School is accredited with master's level
teachers and includes special education. It has two administrators,
six teachers and six teachers assistants, with a Life Skills program
and a Title I reading and math program.
In November 2001 KidzArk was licensed by the State of Colorado
to also be a Child Placement
Agency, allowing KidzArk to
obtain and license foster homes
for a continuum of care that
includes therapeutic foster care.
This "affordably priced" 501(c)(3) non profit [is]
supported by fees for service
and charitable contributions." They "have
specific qualifications and experiences”
which enable them to “meet the
needs of severely damaged children.
While maintaining interpersonal
boundaries…staff act upon the
concepts of accountability and
forgiveness to assist children
in turning their lives around. KidzArk is different from other
RCCF/RTCs in that the residents
are not viewed as delinquents
needing to be incarcerated, but
as children damaged by life experiences
and in need of healing." |
