Founded by Father Edward J. Flanagan on December 12th, 1917, Boys Town has been serving the community’s children for 105 years. Boys Town stands for helping America’s children and families, offering healing on every level for those that need care. Above all they provide mental health resources to make sure that at-risk youth are able to thrive. As they put it, “We deliver guidance and insight for families across the country who are encountering overwhelming challenges in today’s world.”

As of 2021, Boys Town has served nearly 500,000 children and families with their multiple different programs, such as:

-Boys Town Center for Behavioral Health, which helps with neurodivergent health issues, such as dealing with depression, anxiety, and ADHD, and finding useful coping methods and tools for success. They have therapy and treatments, as well as specialty clinics on-site.

In-home Family Services, where professional consultants can come to your home and help parents resolve issues and learn useful skills for working with their children.

Foster Family Services, set up inside Boys Town itself, where they train and recruit foster parents so that at-risk kids have a safe place to heal.

Family Home Program, another on-site program, where children ten (10) to eighteen (18) live in groups together with a trained married couple, called a Family-Teacher, who can help them with daily needs and teach them life skills.

Residential Treatment Center, which provides inpatient care for children that have severe behavioral and mental health issues.

Successful Futures, their Life Skills Training, workforce development, and future planning program that helps young adults that are on their own with the knowledge they need to thrive.

Common Sense Parenting, their parenting classes that help parents develop healthy family relationships, foster safety, and promote healthy well-being in all avenues of life.

Boys Town also has many online resources for families, including their Boys Town Parenting section, their Teachable Moments Blog, the on-site Boys Town Press, and YourLifeYourVoice.org, which is a resource for teens that need access to counselors. The organization also offers help to teachers to work with students in class to improve learning. They have also answered more than 10.5 million crisis calls and helped stop more than 9,000 in-progress suicide attempts.

Currently, Boys Town is working towards building a new Education Center. Announced last year, it will be a cutting-edge facility that “will create an environment that will provide equal and successful education for students of all skills, backgrounds, and abilities.” They have currently raised forty-two (42) percent of their $30 million goal.

If you would like to donate to Boys Town, you can go to their website at boystown.org/donate, or call 800-217-3700. Boys Town is a publicly funded, nonsectarian nonprofit with locations all across the country, in Nevada, Iowa, Washington DC, Louisiana, and North, Central, and South Florida.

For more information about Boys Town, you can go to their website at boystown.org. You can also contact them via their email at Helpkids@hope.boystown.org, or call toll-free at 800-217-3700. If you or anyone you know is struggling and needs help, you can use their National Hotline, 800-448-3000, or text VOICE to 20121. Their hotline has year-round counselors who give advice and guidance on all kinds of issues, from tantrums and defiance to substance abuse and suicidal thoughts.