Valley Teen Ranch

What Valley Teen Ranch does

Valley Teen Ranch (VTR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1983 and headquartered in Fresno, California, that delivers a continuum of trauma-informed services for vulnerable children, youth, young adults, and families across California's Central Valley. Its core clinical program is a California-licensed Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) for male youth ages 13-17 and Non-Minor Dependents ages 18-21, operated across three homes on an 80-acre ranch in southern Madera County, with capacity for up to 32 residents and length of stay of 6-12 months. Supporting programs include a Foster Family Agency, an Adoption Agency, a Transitional Living Home, Sierra Crossing (a 95-unit permanent affordable housing community), the 2023-launched Rapid Re-Housing program, the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program, and the Welcome Home modular housing project (≈100 units, opening May 2025). Services are grounded in evidence-based clinical modalities including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), with on-site education delivered through a partnership with Golden Valley Unified School District.

VTR is funded through a mix of California Aid to Families With Dependent Children (AFDC)/Foster Care county contracts, charitable contributions (the organization states that roughly 20% of the annual budget must come from private donations), events and fundraisers, and competitive state and municipal grants. Its most material recent capital awards are a 2024 California Homekey grant covering 60 units for homeless/at-risk youth plus 35 single-family units, and a $27 million partnership with the City of Fresno for the Welcome Home modular housing development. The organization is CARF-accredited (since 2014) and is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Mike Zachry, with Andrea Evans serving as CEO following the 2018 transition from founding-era CEO Connie Clendenan.

Distribution is entirely referral-based: youth enter STRTP and foster programs through county social services departments and juvenile court placements across seven or more California counties, while housing residents are referred through the Fresno Housing Authority and partner nonprofits. There is no disclosed proprietary technology, no commercial pricing, and no traditional sales motion; the model is closer to a contract-and-grant-funded social services platform than a product business. The reported cumulative impact since founding exceeds 1,500 youth served, more than 900 foster placements, and more than 155 young adults through the Transitional Living Home.

Name

Valley Teen Ranch

Legal name

Valley Teen Ranch

Website

https://valleyteenranch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Valley Teen Ranch is a Fresno-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides trauma-informed residential treatment, foster and adoption services, and permanent affordable housing for vulnerable children, youth, and young adults across California's Central Valley, funded by county contracts, donations, and state housing grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and Family Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Child and Youth Services (62411), Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (62322), Other Residential Care Facilities (6239)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM), Court/Community School Programs (Diversion, Probation-Linked, Community Day Schools) (EDAJAEAI)

Keywords

• Foster care services
• Residential therapeutic programs
• Transitional housing support
• Youth social services
• Adoption and foster placement

Headquarters

HQ city

Fresno

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: VTR receives partial funding through California's Aid to Families With Dependent Children (AFDC) and Foster Care programs. As a licensed Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP), services are funded through county contracts with social services and probation departments.
2. Private Donations and Charitable Contributions: VTR relies on private donations from individuals, churches, civic groups, private foundations, and businesses. The organization states that 20% of the annual budget must come from charitable contributions. Multiple giving options exist including one-time gifts, monthly giving, in-kind donations, and planned gifts.
3. Events and Fundraisers: Annual Celebration fundraiser and online auction events generate charitable support. Sponsorships for events and donations of auction items contribute to revenue.
4. Homekey Grant: In 2024, VTR was awarded a Homekey grant for housing development. The Welcome Home project is a $27 million modular housing project in partnership with the City of Fresno.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Valley Teen Ranch (VTR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a 24-hour Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) on an 80-acre ranch in Madera County for at-risk male youth ages 13-21, alongside a Foster Family Agency, Adoption Agency, Transitional Living Home, and the 95-unit Sierra Crossing permanent affordable housing community in Fresno. Services are trauma-informed, evidence-based, and accessed through county social services referrals, juvenile court placements, and housing voucher programs.

Product overview

Valley Teen Ranch (VTR) operates a multi-program service platform providing integrated support for vulnerable children, youth, young adults, and families. The core offerings include: the Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP), an accredited 24-hour therapeutic living environment on an 80-acre ranch; Sierra Crossing, a 95-unit permanent affordable housing campus; and the Transitional Living Home serving young adults ages 18-24. Supporting services include Foster Family Agency and Adoption Agency for child placement, Rapid Re-Housing for rental assistance, Titan Youth Home for probation-involved youth, Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program, and the Welcome Home modular housing initiative. All programs are grounded in trauma-informed care principles and provide wraparound support services including mental health care, education, employment resources, and life-skills training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) 24-hour residential therapeutic program serving male youth ages 13-17 and Non-Minor Dependents ages 18-21 on the 80-acre Madera County ranch, applying trauma-informed care, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) with an anticipated length of stay of 6-12 months; capacity for up to 32 residents across three homes.
• Sierra Crossing 95-unit permanent affordable housing community in Fresno for young adults and families overcoming homelessness, aging out of foster care, or in unstable circumstances, offering on-site case management, mental and physical health care referrals, employment resources, and community-building programs.
• Transitional Living Home Transitional housing and supportive services for young adults ages 18-24, including those parenting children and young families, providing independent living skills, educational and employment guidance, and financial and time management training.
• Foster Family Agency Provides foster placement services for children and youth who are dependents of Social Services, including placement, reunification support, relative placement, and ongoing case management across California counties.
• Adoption Agency Provides adoption services to families seeking to offer a permanent plan of adoption for children and youth who are dependents of the juvenile dependency court.
• Rapid Re-Housing Short-term rental assistance and case management that helps young adults ages 18-24 quickly secure stable housing and move toward independence.
• Titan Youth Home Supportive housing for young adults transitioning from structured care to independent living, provided in collaboration with Fresno County Probation's Juvenile Justice system.
• Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program Culturally and linguistically appropriate foster care for youth who do not have parents in the United States, or who enter the U.S. unaccompanied by a parent, immediate adult relative, or an adult with documented legal evidence of custody of the minor.
• Welcome Home A $27 million modular housing development in partnership with the City of Fresno bringing nearly 100 apartments for homeless youth to northwest Fresno, using modular construction to reduce costs to about $280,000 per home versus over $500,000 for traditional building methods.

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• City of FresnocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on the $27 million Welcome Home modular housing project bringing nearly 100 apartments for homeless youth to northwest Fresno. The project used modular construction to reduce costs and construction time.
• Fresno Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing FUP and FYI vouchers for young adults exiting foster care, with wraparound support services at Sierra Crossing housing development.
• Fresno County Department of Social ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Transitional Housing (THP) program providing safe, structured housing with guidance, life-skills training, and education support for young adults. Also provides wraparound support for foster youth.
• Fresno County ProbationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Titan Youth Home, providing supportive housing for young adults transitioning from structured care to independent living in partnership with Fresno County Probation's Juvenile Justice system.
• Golden Valley Unified School DistrictcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership providing on-site school at the ranch facility, with educational placement options including Middle School, High School, Community Day School, Continuation School, or Independent Study. Special Education services provided through Madera County Office of Education.
• Madera County Office of EducationsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides special education services to youth at the ranch facility in partnership with Golden Valley Unified School District.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• First Place for Youth: California-based nonprofit focused specifically on transition-age foster youth (ages 18-24), providing housing, education, and employment supports — a near-perfect overlap with VTR's Transitional Living Home, Sierra Crossing, and Rapid Rehousing programs.
• Aspiranet: California nonprofit delivering foster care, adoption, residential, mental health, and community-based services across multiple counties — directly comparable multi-program service platform to VTR.
• Seneca Family of Agencies: Bay Area-based nonprofit providing wraparound, intensive mental health, foster care, and residential services for high-acuity youth — comparable continuum-of-care service model with similar evidence-based modalities.
• EMQ FamiliesFirst: California nonprofit licensed Foster Family Agency and mental health provider with comparable placement, reunification, and adoption services to VTR's Foster Family Agency.
• Fred Finch Youth & Family Services: California nonprofit providing residential treatment, mental health, and transitional housing for youth and young adults — overlapping therapeutic residential and housing services with VTR.
• Pacific Clinics: California behavioral health nonprofit (formerly Uplift Family Services) providing mental health, foster care, and youth residential services — overlapping mental-health-licensed service portfolio with VTR's STRTP.
• Mountain Valley Child and Family Services: California-based nonprofit providing STRTP, mental health, and foster care services in Northern California — directly comparable STRTP-licensed service model with similar regulatory positioning.
• Children's Bureau of Southern California: California nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, and family preservation services — directly comparable Foster Family Agency and Adoption Agency offerings.
• Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services: California nonprofit providing residential treatment, mental health, and foster care services across Southern California — comparable CARF-accredited multi-program youth services portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Boys Town: National nonprofit providing residential youth care, foster family services, and youth mental health programs — broader incumbent operating the same youth-residential and family-services category at national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/valleyteenranch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/valley-teen-ranch
• Instagraminstagram.com/vtr_valleyteenranch_
• Xx.com/vtr_news

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Valley Teen Ranch