Step 2: The Commitment Phase

If a child has qualified for placement, then additional documentation will need to be completed by the legal guardian. The required forms will be sent to the guardian upon the child's qualification of placement.

We ask each guardian who places a child at Boys Town to participate in the Common Sense Parenting (CSP) Program. CSP teaches parents effective methods for handling children's behavior that is consistent with the Boys Town Model of Care. The CSP Program is available to families without geographic restriction.

Boys Town provides care for girls and boys ages 10 to 17. Each home features a family-style approach where a specially trained married couple (called Family-Teachers) lives in the home 24 hours a day and are the primary care agents.

The Boys Town Program Description Family-Style Living

Family-Teachers assist youths via the Boys Town Teaching Model by applying behavioral principles when teaching life skills, building appropriate relationships and helping youths develop self-discipline. Boys Town’s youths come from a variety of religious, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, and this diversity provides them an opportunity to learn about and appreciate living together in harmony.

Youths and Families Served

Youths admitted to Boys Town have experienced severe individual and/or family difficulties. Most have been involved in the juvenile justice system or the social service system. Many youths have experienced some type of out-of-home placement prior to coming to Boys Town. Specific characteristics of youths served are the following:

  • Serious behavioral problems
  • Lack of success in school
  • Inability to live at home
  • History of runaway behavior
  • History of aggressive behavior
  • History of drug or alcohol use
  • Victim of physical and/or sexual abuse

The populations served in the Village of Boys Town focus on youths whose behavior problems can be successfully addressed in a family-style treatment setting. Youths who are acutely dangerous to themselves or others, including actively suicidal youths or youths with psychotic-like behavior, require care in a more secure environment.

Home Visits

Boys Town is not a boarding school. It is a care facility. Thus, there are no automatic vacations. There are therapeutic home visits, which are helpful for care purposes.

Religious and Spiritual Development

Boys Town is nonsectarian and nonproselytizing. At the same time, research shows that "getting in touch with a higher power" is a prerequisite for youths to be successful after they leave Boys Town.

Father Flanagan said, "Every boy must learn to pray. How he prays is up to him." Each child is strongly encouraged to receive spiritual and religious instruction as part of his or her daily life at Boys Town. Regular church attendance, community service, and traditional spiritual and religious observances are routine parts of our residential program.

Individualized Care

Each youth who comes to Boys Town has his or her own set of strengths as well as serious problems. Individualized care goals are developed for each youth during the first few weeks of placement. Youths are active members of the care team, together with parents, guardians and other professionals. As much as possible, Family-Teachers work closely with parents and guardians to keep them involved and informed about a youth’s progress while family reunification is vigorously pursued.

Youth Empowerment

To help youths, Boys Town uses a behavioral teaching model. It is neither a punishment model nor a standard counseling model. Our goal is not to frustrate youth, but rather to help them learn to have their needs met in pro-social ways. This requires a low tolerance for inappropriate behavior coupled with high warmth and praise for appropriate behavior. Ours is a self-help model, not a control model. It is a youth-empowerment model. And it works. Formal research indicates that more than 90 percent of Boys Town students graduate from high school. Former residents go on to become working and contributing adults for their families and communities.

Educational Services

Our location in Boys Town, Neb., operates two schools in the Village: Boys Town High School and Wegner Grade School. Both schools are fully accredited by the Nebraska Department of Education and the North Central Association. This accreditation includes meeting all guidelines for special education under IDEA. Teacher-to-student ratios average 1:10, and classroom size averages 10 to 12 students.

Many students coming to live at Boys Town are four to five years behind in reading. The Boys Town Reading Center has developed a specialized curriculum that, on average, yields two years of reading gains for each year of instruction. Boys Town’s schools are built around the foundation of helping youths gain academic success.

Students living at our other locations around the United States attend schools in their area.

Co-Curricular Activities

Boys Town offers a wide range of opportunities for students outside the classroom. These activities are a vital component of our care environment and include the following:

  • Girls’ and boys’ cross-country
  • The Voices of Boys Town
  • Baseball
  • JROTC
  • Girls’ and boys’ track and field
  • Marching band
  • Girls’ volleyball
  • Boys’ football
  • Girls’ and boys’ basketball
  • Student council
  • Summer camps for all sports
  • Wrestling
  • Flag corp
  • Girls and boys soccer
  • Cheerleading

Boys Town’s athletics programs also provide character development through an established curriculum called Competing With Character. Student athletes receive character training and have multiple opportunities to exhibit and practice skills they've learned during their regular instruction. Boys Town coaches are expected to be leaders of high character and to role model positive skills and behavior to student athletes at all times. As a result of this emphasis on character development, the Nebraska State Basketball Tournament has recognized Boys Town sports teams and fans for exhibiting the best sportsmanship two years in a row.

Athletics and other co-curricular activities are another way to teach life skills, values and ethics to our students.

Students living at our other locations around the United States also have extra curricular activities available to them.

Yes! Continue to the final step - The Admission Phase.

No! Do not continue. How else can Boys Town help my child and family? Go to Boys Town's Parenting.org site.