The Children's Ranch

The Children's Ranch offers Ranch Lessons, where children, adolescents, and young adults learn animal caretaking skills such as grooming, mucking, feeding, leading, bathing, and socializing. It also offers Community Lessons through Interwoven, where students of all abilities learn to care for animals with guidance from a developmental specialist. Ranch students can also join Ranch Corps or the Lulu Xochi Calderon (LXC) Ranch Program, depending on age and program level.

Programs

• Ranch Lessons — Children, adolescents, and young adults; no strict age requirement. For students developmentally and/or chronologically age 7 or younger, families are referred to begin at Interwoven. · Weekdays after school; year-round; individual 45-minute sessions · Students learn animal caretaking skills such as grooming, mucking, feeding, leading, bathing, and socializing.
• Community Lessons through Interwoven — Students of all abilities · Offered through Interwoven, an outpatient clinic located at The Children’s Ranch; students learn to care for animals with guidance from a developmental specialist.
• Ranch Corps — Adolescent Ranch students · A transition program where students receive personalized training and supervision to help them move into the role of Ranch mentor.
• Lulu Xochi Calderon (LXC) Ranch Program — Young adult Ranch students · A program for young adults to put their skills to use in serving the animals they love, with support from Ranch staff.

At a glance

• Ages: 0–18 years old
• General schedule: Lessons are offered year-round on weekdays after school.

About the provider

The program’s mission is to empower children, teenagers, and young adults with diverse abilities and challenges to become expert caretakers of animals while fostering emotional growth and resilience. It is described as a community program, and it says donations help sustain and expand its efforts to impact more lives and make a positive difference in the community. Jackie has been honored with a Jefferson Award for Public Service.

The Ranch does not ride horses. Financial assistance is available on a sliding scale. For students developmentally and/or chronologically age 7 or younger, the Ranch refers families to begin at Interwoven.

Last updated September 12, 2026.