For kids at the Ranch, time in Montana’s wilderness is more than a day outdoors—it’s a chance to find joy, build confidence, and create lasting memories. Earlier this summer, a group set out on the trails of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, many experiencing its beauty for the very first time. It was a powerful reminder of how healing outdoors can help kids see new possibilities for themselves.
Experiencing Montana’s Outdoors for the First Time
Some hiked rocky paths, others spotted wildlife, felt the spray of a rushing river, or paused to take in breathtaking mountain views. For many, it was an adventure that showed not only the wonder of Montana but also the strength and resilience within them.
Why These Moments Matter
These simple but profound experiences give kids a sense of belonging and remind them that joy is possible. They help kids feel connected to the world around them and confident in what they can achieve. With the encouragement of caring professionals, the memories made on these trails will last long after the hike ends.
At YBGR, we believe healing outdoors is just as vital as the work we do indoors—thriving under the wide-open skies of Montana.
Have you ever witnessed the storm—the choppy waters of a child’s big emotions? Of course! Like us, our little ones are human—experiencing the full spectrum of emotions. But unlike us, their brains are still developing the skills to navigate and cope.
In moments when kids are experiencing immense, turbulent feelings, they look to us for safety. To be the calm gently guiding them through their storm—the anchor in their waves.
Children learn emotional regulation through our regulated presence. Simply put, we learn to self-soothe through thousands of instances of being soothed by someone else.
Below are seventeen quotes on emotional regulation—on being the calm in our kids’ storm.
Quotes on Being the Calm in Our Kids’ Storm
Quote 1: A child can’t think logically when they are anxious, and they definitely can’t learn. Helping them calm has to be the priority. – Inspired by Krysten Taprell, @the_therapist_parent
When kids become flooded with emotion, logical thinking takes a backseat. Our primary focus must be to soothe—sharing our calm.
Hold space and validate feelings. Then, once strong emotions such as anxiety have subsided, we can effectively teach.
Quote 2: When kids’ emotions are high, their logic and language are low. So, in a meltdown, don’t reason with them. Connect. Hold space. Be. – Stephanie Pinto
When children are experiencing big emotions, it’s not the time for reasoning or a lecture. Attend to their feelings first. Then, after they have calmed, you can effectively coach them.
Quote 3: We go into the fear zone when a child is dysregulated, self-harms, or makes threats. When afraid, we back-peddle and give kids more choices and power. But in these moments, kids need the opposite. They need to feel safe, secure, and contained. – Inspired by Krissy Pozatek
When dysregulated, kids need safety, security, and boundaries that provide comfort. Be their safe haven—the anchor in their storm.
Quote 4: As a mom, I could feed my child’s anxiety, or I could feed their peace. We set the temperature for our kids. – Beth Moore
We hold the power to shape our children’s emotional well-being. Remember—we set the tone. Feed their peace.
Quote 5: Your child can’t lead you into their chaos. You must lead them out of theirs. – @dr.siggie
Our children need us to be a calm, steady force—especially during times when they are experiencing turbulent emotions.
Quote 6: When I’m not sure how to support my child, I focus on my own regulation. – @responsive_parenting
When you don’t know how to best support your kids, try turning inward.
By noticing, understanding, and regulating our emotions, we can better provide the calm and stability our children need—approaching parenting with a more centered, grounded perspective.
Quote 7: My job as a parent isn’t to control my child’s emotions. My job as a parent is to control my own. – Shelly Robinson
We can’t control our children’s feelings, but we can teach them how to navigate them by how we navigate our own. And in doing so, we can better provide a safe, supportive environment for them to grow.
Quote 8: Children pick up on our emotional tone milliseconds before processing our words. And that emotional tone conveys cues of safety or threat, regardless of what we’re trying to communicate. – Adopted from Dr. Dan Siegel
Our kids are always listening, not just to our words but to the emotions behind them. Create a safe, nurturing environment—one where children feel loved and protected.
Quote 9: If you want to support your child’s emotional health, you need to take care of your own emotions. Your tone, energy, and overall emotional presence serve as your child’s emotional guidepost. – Inspired by Angela Pruess
Our wellness shapes our children’s wellness. Caring for ourselves is an act of love—for both us and our little ones.
Quote 10: Our responses influence our children’s behavior. A slight shift in our communication from defensive to proactive can make all the difference in shaping their stress response. – Lori Petro
Parenting isn’t just about our kid’s behavior; it’s also about our own. The energy we put out can either fuel their fire or calm their storm. Emotions feed off emotions.
Quote 11: Our confidence has the power to weaken the fear that our children experience. – @parenting_pathfinders
Our confidence is a mighty force—weakening the grip of fear our kid’s experience. When we embody self-assurance, we impart a sense of safety and security.
Quote 12: The goal is NOT to never get triggered. You’re human. You will get triggered sometimes. The goal is to learn to regulate and respond to those triggers with intention. – @the.peaceful.mother
A trigger is anything that sets you off emotionally and activates memories of trauma. It’s particular to you and what your experiences have been.
Triggers may include feeling:
Powerless
Judged
Unheard
Unsafe
Disrespected
Unloved
Controlled
Our ability to navigate triggers and the emotions springing from them is tied to our ability to understand feelings, where they come from, and tolerate the sensations that arise when we experience them.
When we create space for ourselves to do this, we’re better able to create space for our kids.
Quote 13: Teaching a child to shut down their emotions does not make them calm. It makes them numb. Calmness is a skill that develops after a child has learned to feel their emotions, not ignore them. – Inspired by Eli Harwood
Calmness is not achieved by shutting down our feelings but by learning to navigate and regulate the storm within.
Quote 14: Peaceful parenting isn’t about your ability to stop feeling what you feel. It’s about separating your feelings from your actions. Letting the feelings come. Acknowledging them. Letting them go. Then, responding with intention. – @loveandletgrow
Feel the feeling but don’t become the emotion.
Quote 15: We don’t need to get rid of anxiety. What we need is to practice noticing the sensations in the body, naming the feelings under the anxiety, and nurturing our capacity to still do brave, challenging things even when we feel anxious. – Inspired by Lelia Scott
Instead of trying to rid ourselves of big feelings like anxiety, let’s shift our focus toward developing the skills to navigate them gracefully.
One skill for navigating emotions, particularly anxiousness, is mindfulness—becoming aware of the sensations in our body. By tuning in, we can identify the feelings beneath the surface—acknowledging and naming them without judgment.
Foster self-compassion, and remember, it’s not about eradicating our emotions but developing skills to coexist with them.
Quote 16: Mindfulness means bringing your focus to the present and accepting your thoughts and feelings for what they are without judging them, trying to change them, or expecting them to be different. – Inspired by Renee Jain
To be mindful is to bring your focus to the present moment—accepting your thoughts and feelings for what they are without judgment or trying to change them.
In a world that often pulls us in different directions, mindfulness offers a sanctuary of peace and acceptance, inviting us to notice the beauty in the simplest moments and cultivate deeper self-awareness.
By taking a moment to:
🧘♀️ Pause 🧘♀️ Breathe 🧘♀️ Embrace the present
We can better anchor ourselves during waves of emotion, support our kids during their storms, and live with clarity, authenticity, and gratitude.
Quote 17: Practicing how to anchor ourselves as our children navigate the ocean of emotions will help them grow to anchor themselves more naturally. – Inspired by Lelia Scott
When we practice grounding ourselves alongside our children’s turbulent emotions, we teach them the art of anchoring themselves. Through our self-awareness and regulation, we create safety—modeling inner stability and guiding toward emotional resilience.
It’s National Suicide Prevention Month, and we’re on a mission to spread knowledge to save lives. Today, we’re exploring suicide warning signs and equipping you with the tools to help.
To start that journey, take a second to watch this brief video released shortly after actor Robin Williams’s death.
Robin fit the criteria for many suicide risk factors, including depression, bipolar disorder, a chronic health condition, and a history of substance abuse.
Warning Signs That Someone May Attempt Suicide
You can’t always see how people are feeling on the inside, which can make it hard to identify when someone is struggling. However, there are often outward suicide warning signs when people are grappling with thoughts of suicide.
Talking about:
Wanting to die
Great guilt or shame
Being a burden to others
Feeling:
Empty, hopeless, trapped, or having no reason to live
Extremely sad, more anxious, agitated, or full of rage
Unbearable emotional or physical pain
Changing behavior, such as:
Making a plan or researching ways to die
Withdrawing from friends, saying goodbye, giving away important items, or making a will
Taking dangerous risks, such as driving extremely fast
Displaying extreme mood swings
Eating or sleeping more or less
Using drugs or alcohol more often
What to Do if You Think Someone May Be Considering Suicide
If you suspect that someone may be considering suicide, talk to them about your concerns. Begin the conversation by asking questions in a non-judgmental and non-confrontational way.
Talk openly and don’t be afraid to ask direct questions, such as “Are you thinking about suicide?”
Be prepared with resources to help, and don’t hesitate to assist them in utilizing the tools you’ve provided.
Putting their affairs in order or giving away their possessions
Saying goodbye to friends and family
Having a mood shift from despair to calm
Planning, looking to buy, steal, or borrow the tools to complete suicide, such as a firearm or medication
Check out the graphic below for information on what to do in case of an emergency.
If someone has an immediate plan for suicide and means to exercise it, they need to go to the ER and be evaluated by a mental health professional for a higher level of care. And until that happens, they mustn’t be left alone.
Are You or Your Child Struggling?
You don’t need to bear the heavy weight of sadness without support. It might feel like you’re alone, but there are people out there who care about you and want to help. Call a friend or family member, and don’t be afraid to reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988.
What happens when a single act of generosity reshapes the future for thousands of children?
In the early 1990s, leaders at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch recognized that true healing required medical care close at hand. Tom and Joan Scott of Billings answered that need with a remarkable gift—a grant that fully funded the Tom and Joan Scott Medical Clinic on the ground floor of the Mary Brekkeflat Lodge.
Turning Vision Into Reality
By 1998, the Scotts’ generosity had transformed the space into something more than a clinic—it became a place where physical health and emotional well-being could be supported side by side. For our team, the clinic offered reassurance that medical care was always within reach. For our kids, it brought comfort and confidence, knowing that care and compassion were part of daily life at the Ranch.
A Legacy That Endures
Today, nestled among the ponds and pathways of the East Campus, the Tom and Joan Scott Medical Clinic continues to serve youth and families at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch. It stands as a lasting reminder that thoughtful generosity can shape futures and bring healing for generations to come.
Learn More About Our History
Visit our History page to explore the story—and the caring people—who gave birth to our mission. Their vision continues to touch the lives of thousands of youth across Montana and beyond each year.
Want to dive deeper? You can also find A Legacy of Caring, written by our founder, Franklin Robbie, on Amazon.
For Native youth in foster care, healing is about more than stability. It’s about belonging—being connected to culture, tradition, and community. Without that, children risk losing not only their sense of place but their sense of self.
That’s why Josie Brady, Native American Services Coordinator, and Kayla Goble, Family Resource Specialist, recently attended the Circle of Keepers Train the Trainer event in Billings, held alongside the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council’s Walking the Sacred Path Conference. The training provided them with new tools to ensure that Native youth in foster care feel seen, valued, and supported in ways that honor their identity.
A Deeper Understanding of Cultural Healing
The sessions, led by Rita Hart, MSW (Jicarilla Apache and Choctaw) and Kelly Tannehill, MSW, centered on the sacred meaning of the circle in Native traditions—symbolizing protection, belonging, and strength without end. Participants explored how trauma histories intersect with cultural healing practices, gaining insight into the unique challenges Native youth face.
Through this training, Josie and Kayla strengthened their ability to help create natural, protective circles of care for Native youth in foster care. Their commitment reflects YBGR’s promise to walk alongside every child, ensuring each one feels embraced by a community of caring people. Because when both stability and culture surround Native youth in foster care, they don’t just survive—they thrive.
The story of the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Foundation begins long before its official formation—with the roots of generosity that shaped Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch itself.
From the start, the Ranch stood tall because of caring people who believed in its mission and the leaders who carried that mission forward. In the early days, Bob McFarlane rallied ranchers across Montana to give what they could—calves, grain, even land rights.
When the effort grew beyond one man, Irwin Eleson, a can-do ranch hand with a gift for connection, took to the road in a donated pickup, recruiting trustees and donors who built a foundation of trust and community support.
Laying the Groundwork for the Foundation
Decades later, Jim Soft carried that same spirit into the creation of the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Foundation, established to ensure the Ranch’s long-term stability. His guiding belief was simple: strong roots ensure lasting growth. With the Blankenship Charitable Remainder Trust, the Foundation secured its first major planned gift, demonstrating that generosity could sustain the Ranch’s mission for generations to come.
Meanwhile, Franklin Robbie devoted his life to leading the Ranch, and later the Foundation, driving thousands of miles each year to raise the funds that kept hope alive. Alongside him, Merle Robbie offered steadfast partnership and wisdom, helping shape the heart of the organization.
A Legacy Carried Forward
In 1984, the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Foundation became its own nonprofit organization, dedicated to supporting the mission and future of Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch and similar organizations. This step formalized years of grassroots generosity, creating a sustainable structure to carry forward the legacy of giving that began with the Ranch’s founders.
When Franklin later passed the torch to his son, Wes Robbie, the Foundation entered a new era. Wes brought professionalism and vision, modernizing operations while preserving the spirit of generosity his parents and predecessors had lived out so faithfully.
Today, Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch stands strong not because of buildings or programs alone, but because of caring people who planted roots of giving and leadership. Nearly 400 charitable gift annuities and trusts now sustain this legacy, each one a testament to enduring faith in the mission.
The Robbie family’s legacy, joined with that of so many others, ensures that every child in our care finds not only healing but a future filled with hope.
Learn More About Our History
Visit our History page to explore the story—and the caring people—who gave birth to our mission. Their vision continues to impact the lives of thousands of youth across Montana and beyond each year.
Want to dive deeper? You can also find A Legacy of Caring, written by our founder, Franklin Robbie, on Amazon.
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and we’re exploring suicide risk factors.
Below is Alexandra Valoras’ story, told in her family’s words. Alexandra was a straight-A student, class officer, and robotics whiz. Her death is a heartbreaking reminder that even those who seem to be thriving can be at risk.
Understanding suicide risk factors helps us see what isn’t always visible on the surface.
Losing a friend or loved one to suicide can increase personal risk.
Protective Factors
Protective factors are personal or environmental characteristics that reduce risk and help people cope with life’s challenges.
Below are several protective factors that can mitigate risk of suicide.
Access to effective behavioral health care
Strong connections with family, friends, and community
Life skills such as problem-solving, coping, and ability to adapt to change
Self-esteem and a sense of meaning or purpose in life
Cultural, religious, or personal beliefs that discourage suicide
What to Do if Someone Is Struggling
If you’re concerned about someone, don’t be afraid to ask directly about suicide. You won’t “put the idea” in their head—many people feel relief when someone cares enough to ask.
If someone shares that they’re considering suicide:
Stay with them if they have immediate plans and means.
Take them to the emergency room to be evaluated by a mental health professional.
You don’t have to carry the weight alone. Reach out to a trusted friend or family member, and don’t hesitate to call 988 to connect with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Support is just a call away.
When hundreds of young lives find healing, you know something powerful is at work.
The Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch expansion in the 1970s marked a new chapter for mental health care.
In 1976, King Lodge opened as the first to include its own kitchen and dining room, creating a space where daily life could feel more like home. Soon after, the Ranch partnered with the State of Montana to serve youth in need of therapeutic care. By 1977, Orth Lodge had launched a pilot program, opening new possibilities for treatment.
Expanding Care, Restoring Hope
By 1978, Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch had built a more comprehensive continuum of behavioral health care, earning accreditation from the Joint Commission of Hospitals. Jessie Grant Lodge welcomed six young girls in 1979, and by 1982, Shumaker Lodge expanded its treatment for girls, while London Lodge provided a supportive environment for boys.
By our 25th anniversary, more than 600 youth had received care through the Ranch. Even the fireplaces in Jessie Grant and Shumaker Lodges—built by a former youth apprenticing under Gene Halone—carried symbolic weight, crafted by hands once in need of healing.
Visit our History page to explore the story—and the caring people—who gave birth to our mission. Their vision continues to touch the lives of thousands of youth across Montana and beyond each year.
Want to dive deeper? You can also find A Legacy of Caring, written by our founder, Franklin Robbie, on Amazon.
Join us for a day of inspiration, learning, and collaboration designed to strengthen partnerships and spark lasting impact.
Yellowstone Conference 2025 at a Glance:
Topic: Stronger Together, Building Strategic Partnerships for Lasting Impact Date: Thursday, October 2, 2025 Time: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM Location: 1701 Ray of Hope Lane, Billings, MT. Tickets: Click here to purchase tickets on Eventbrite
Credits: 5.75 CEUs & 6 OPI credits available Format: In-Person or Virtual | Lunch & Snacks Provided
This annual gathering unites leaders, innovators, and changemakers from across sectors to exchange ideas, celebrate successes, and spark new opportunities for growth. Through dynamic panel discussions and interactive networking, participants will gain practical tools, fresh perspectives, and stronger connections to drive meaningful, lasting impact in our communities.
Panel Topics & Descriptions
Strengthening Native American Partnerships: Leveraging Community Partnerships for Collective Impact
This panel emphasizes the importance of building strong, respectful, and mutually beneficial relationships with Native American communities. By fostering authentic partnerships, the effort seeks to honor cultural traditions, elevate community voices, and collaborate on shared goals. Leveraging cross-sector partnerships enhances access to resources, supports sustainable solutions, and drives collective impact. The focus is on long-term trust, equity, and shared decision-making to strengthen outcomes for Native youth in their communities.
Empowering Excellence: Strengthening Workforce Development through Higher Education Partnerships
A strong, mission-aligned workforce is the backbone of effective nonprofit impact. This panel explores how strategic partnerships with higher education institutions can help build and sustain a pipeline of skilled, passionate professionals. These partnerships not only enhance organizational capacity but also ensure that services remain responsive, community-centered, and future-focused. Together, we can cultivate a workforce that’s ready to meet today’s needs—and tomorrow’s possibilities.
Mission-Driven Collaboration: Uniting Youth-Serving Organizations for Greater Reach
When youth-serving organizations unite around a shared mission, their impact multiplies. By combining strengths and resources, partners expand reach and deepen support for kids and families. These collaborations close gaps and build stronger systems—especially in under-resourced areas—creating a more connected, resilient network of care that ensures youth get the support they need, when they need it.
Bridging Sectors, Building Futures: Public-Private Partnerships for Sustainable Change
When government, business, and community organizations come together, the results can be transformative. This panel explores how cross-sector collaboration sparks innovation, drives sustainable solutions, and strengthens communities for the long term.
