Located at the Village of Boys Town, Nebraska, the Boys Town National Research Institute conducts applied research that is focused on understanding the nature of problems children and their families face in today’s world and identifying the most effective ways to help them. Since our inception in 1989, more than 200 articles, books, monographs and book chapters have been published, and numerous other papers have been presented at professional conferences throughout the United States and Western Europe.

In 2007, Boys Town created a new strategic plan to further its Mission: Changing the way America cares for children and families by providing and promoting a continuum of care that strengthens body, mind, and spirit. To support this plan, the National Research Institute has set five major research goals:

1. Expand tracking of outcome data for all services and programs to better evaluate their effectiveness
2. Establish the evidence base for our In-Home Family Services, Foster Family Services, and Common Sense Parenting® programs
3. Study the effectiveness of the Boys Town Continuum of Child and Family Services as it is established in selected locations across the country
4. Identify the factors that promote effective implementation and replication of Boys Town programs and services
5. Conduct research on the intersection of Youth Care and Health Care.