Gateways Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ's

General

Q: What happened to the Children’s Industrial Home and Jessie Dyslin Boy’s Ranch?

A: Children’s Industrial Home was both the first program we had (an orphanage) and our original name. The Boy’s Ranch was a home for boys who outgrew the orphanage, like the Girl’s Club was for young women. The Boy’s Ranch was located on property deeded to Children’s Industrial Home by Jessie Dyslin. The Board of Directors officially changed our name to GATEWAYS for Youth & Families in the mid-nineties. By then, most of our programs were day treatment or educational and while we had several residential programs and group homes for mentally ill children, we had foster homes instead of an “orphanage” – we ran a resource center for homeless teens instead of group homes for them and the Boys Ranch was a residential program for Juvenile offenders. In 2007, we relocated all of our programs to the Dyslin Ranch and dropped the name “Boys” from the title.

Q: So where are the kids who lived at the Ranch?

A: They’re all grown up. Some of them are great, great-grandparents by now. It’s still a “home” for the kids who come to the Ranch – they just don’t live here. They are members of the Teen Center, students enrolled in our educational programs and our after-school programs or summer camps and kids in our foster care programs and parent-child visit centers.

Q: Does that mean you’ve changed your mission?

A: No. We adhere to the same mission we’ve had from the beginning. We’ve always been there to help parents, not to replace them. In over a century of service to children in our community, as times have changed our programs have evolved, but we still embrace the same philosophies, core values and mission we’ve always had. We still think that parents are trying their best to raise their children, but circumstances and times are difficult for some and there are children who need the assistance of the greater community in order to reach adulthood safely and successfully.

Q: So, what is your mission?

A: We continue to hold dear the values of self-reliance, personal responsibility and community service and try to pass that on to the next generation through the children we serve. In the 1890s we called it receiving “ill-treated and destitute” children into our care, in 1920 we called it “bettering the lives” of young people, in the 1990s we called it “empowering youth to thrive in a dynamic environment” and in 2008 we say we’re “shaping young lives and transforming families so they can thrive.”

Q: Where is Dyslin Ranch located?

A: We are pretty easy to find. Just off Hwy 512 in Pierce County, Washington on 104th Street East in the Franklin Pierce School District and the Summit-Waller community, between Canyon and Waller Roads.

Most people get to us from Interstate-5 by taking Hwy 512 and taking either the Portland/Midland exit or the Canyon Road exit and going a block to the West, turning onto 104th Street East and going to 3501 104th Street East. For locals who do not drive, we have bus-plus or shuttle service right to our property. Also, some drivers may choose to take a non-highway route from East Tacoma taking Portland or Waller Roads, and those folks coming from Puyallup, Spanaway or Parkland often take 112th and cross over to 104th on Portland, Waller or Canyon and others coming from Puyallup just drive the 5 minutes on 104th Street running alongside the South Hill Mall Park N’ Ride.

Child Development Center/Educational Programs

Q: What hours will child care be available?

A: We plan to have two shifts, Monday through Friday for full day, between the hours of 7 AM and 7 PM in order to accommodate the schedules of working parents who need our services.

Q: Does the preschool have to be full day, 5 days a week?

A: No, we have part time rates available.

Q: Can we just “drop in” if we need child care?

A: Not really. Your child must be enrolled in the program and the times that you anticipate your child being at the Learning Center must be pre-arranged, in order for us to ensure that we have adequate staff. “Drop in” rates refer to attendance at the Learning Center for your pre-enrolled child during special events or adult classes.

Q: Are there before and after school programs for children older than 5?

A: Yes. There is a before and after-school program that is available 5 days a week, as well as other opportunities for elementary school children to enroll in special once-a- week hour long enrichment classes after school and on weekends.

Q: Do you provide transportation?

A: For some schools.

Teen Center/Camps/Horses

Q: Who can enroll as a member of the Teen Center?

A: Anybody age 10 to 17.

Q: How much does it cost to enroll in the Teen Center?

A: Rates are based on the level of counselor supervision or assistance required in order to permit the child to participate in the program. General membership is only $5 per week, or $15 per month.

Q: Do you have programs for special needs kids?

A: Yes.

Q: Is that covered by the general membership fee?

A: No. Rates are based on the level of counselor supervision or assistance required.

Q: Do you have horses at the Equestrian Center?

A: Currently, the horses at the Equestrian Center are brought in by participants. We will have our own program horses on site after the barn is built.

Foster Care/Adoption

Q: Does it cost anything to apply to become a foster parent?

A: No. However, during the licensing process you may need to purchase things like fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, car seats or similar items in order to qualify.

Q: Do you have to own your house or be married to become a foster parent?

A: No. We license adults from all backgrounds and lifestyles. We have plenty of single foster parents who rent their homes who do a great job.

Q: How am I going to afford to bring a child into my home?

A: It is expensive to raise a child. However, the state allows a stipend to be paid to foster parents to offset a portion of the costs. Gateways for Youth and Families also covers some of the costs of caring for foster children we place in our licensed homes. We provide case managers to help in navigating the system for children who may have doctor’s appointments, visits with family members and DSHS social workers. We raise money through our foster parent support fund to assist with some of the other costs.

Impact of Divorce on Children Seminar

Q: How much does the class cost?

A: $50 per person, or $75 per couple.
You must prepay for the class in order to receive your certificate for the court. A sliding fee schedule is available for extremely low income people, with proof of your income. We only take credit cards or cash payments, no checks.

Q: Who qualifies as a couple to get the reduced rate?

A: Any two people who are going to be involved in co-parenting.
Because we are concerned with the impact of co-parenting on children, we consider the parents who are getting divorced or separated or even those who were never married to be a couple for purposes of this rate reduction, also a parent and the parent’s new partner or spouse, two grandparents, a parent and a grandparent, or any other combination of two people who are related or connected through their relationship with the child for whom there is or will be a parenting plan.

Q: How often do you offer the class?

A: Once or twice a week. Usually on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings, but occasionally on other evenings during the week.

Q: How long is the class?

A: About 4 hours.

Q: Who teaches the class?

A: Two master’s level therapists certified by the Pierce County Court, one is female and the other is male.

Q: When should I schedule my class?

A: We suggest that you schedule your class at least a month in advance of your hearing date, in case the class is cancelled or you are unable to attend on the day you originally planned.

Q: Can I get a refund if I’m late, miss the class or change my mind about going?

A: No. But if you miss the class or are late, we will allow you to reschedule one time without charging you an additional fee.

Impact of Violence on Children Workshop

Q: When is this class offered?

A: IVC is not currently being offered.

Visitation & Safe Exchange

Q: Who has to pay the $40 intake fee?

A: Unless otherwise court ordered, each party is responsible for their own intake fee.

Q: Does the Visiting Parent have to pay a visiting fee?

A: Yes, $20 to $30 per hour, depending upon the circumstances.

Q: Do Custodial Parents pay any fees other than for their original intake?

A: Yes, if they wish to get copies of observation notes, or if they wish to have the Center provide them with extended mediation services beyond the arranged visits or exchanges and make requests for a VASE facilitator to act as a go-between for any reason other than confirming or canceling a scheduled drop off, pick up or visitation.

Q: Does the Custodial Parent ever have to pay the visiting fee?

A: Yes, if it is court ordered or if the VASE agreement between the parent and GATEWAYS for Youth & Families includes that arrangement.

Q: Who pays for Safe Exchange?

A: Each party pays for their half of the exchange, unless there is a court order that requires one party to pay the entire fee.

Q: Do your employees have background checks?

A: Yes. We conduct Washington State Patrol Background checks on all GATEWAYS for Youth & Families employees, and any employees who come into unsupervised contact with children in our foster care program must also clear DSHS background checks.

Q: Is the facilitator present during the entire visit?

A: Yes. There is always at least one facilitator present during the entire visit. Often there are two or more.

Q: How do you ensure that the parents have no contact with each other?

A: We have a secure environment and strict protocols that must be followed. Visiting parents and custodial parents are not allowed to arrive on the property at the same time; they do not park in the same parking lot, enter through the same doors or go into the same rooms. At the Ranch site, parents do not even go to the same buildings.

Q: Do you provide visit or exchange services for everybody?

A: No. We are a private non-profit social services agency, not a government body. Because the VASE program is intended to teach appropriate co-parenting behaviors to parents who wish to work toward independence from third party supervision, we reserve the right to determine that the behaviors of some parents are not suitable for our program. If parents cannot follow the established protocols, we may terminate or suspend services.

Counseling Services

Q: What services are available?

A: Currently, we do not offer any adult counseling programs. We offer formal teen counseling to teach behavior management, life skills and leadership development skills in a group or individual setting. Entry into groups is generally offered only as an adjunct to other programs, such as Teens in Service to Community, BRS foster care, Ranch Teens After School and Leadership Challenge programs.