BOULDER, Mont. — For kids receiving behavioral health care, their living environment can be an important part of treatment. Now, Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch is opening a new therapeutic group home, the result of a multi-year effort to modernize its Boulder campus and provide a place for kids to heal and grow.
Watch the full story below:
“It is a space that allows kids to be kids, allows for kids to heal and transform their lives,” YBGR CEO Mike Chavers said in a speech at Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting.
The project was first announced in 2021 and marks a continued investment in the Boulder campus, not an expansion of the number of kids it serves.
The Boulder campus serves up to 24 kids, ages 10 to 18, from communities across Montana.
Those children live in the homes to receive mental health support and develop life skills. Each child has their own room with shared community space.
“We really wanted a space that was made for kids, something that is warm and welcoming and not institutional, so that was really the beginning and idea of building this new home,” Chavers said.
The project was made possible through a combination of public funding and private donations. That includes a $525,000 community development block grant in partnership with Jefferson Local Development Corporation, a $750,000 grant through House Bill 872 and another $575,000 from private donors, including The Wall Family-Power Townsend Foundation and Valley Bank of Helena.
“YBGR would not exist without the support of Montanans, and we are so grateful for all of our partners that make this happen,” Chavers said.
YBGR said it serves more than 3,000 kids across Montana every year in many ways; one of those is through the group homes. The organization now has three in Boulder, two in Billings and one in Great Falls.
“Really, we hope that kids feel a sense of hope and a sense of being cared about,” Chavers said.
YBGR says the new home is expected to welcome kids later this month.
