As we look forward to the last quarter of the year, we have much to be thankful for! This year has been exciting as we have officially launched a new program, LIFT Together with Boys Town!SM LIFT Together is bringing together educators, students, families, community members and Boys Town experts to address at-risk student's social-emotional needs. We are currently working with West Gate Elementary in Palm Beach County and Stirling Elementary in Broward, both title I schools. Our focus is to support the school to increase parent and student engagement, reduce truancy, increase positive school behaviors, and provide additional training for teachers through our Well Managed Schools initiative. This coordinated action is what makes the initiative so powerful, because only together can we positively change the life of a child.
The need for prevention and early intervention services is critical. School performance is often one of the early warning signs of trouble for a child. In Florida, 85% of children enter foster care for reasons other than abuse (e.g., lack of supervision, childhood behavior issues, unmet basic needs, inadequate housing)[1]. Many of their parents simply lack the knowledge and resources they need to overcome challenges. Preventative family strengthening services spares children the trauma of family separation and provide a cost-effective way to improve their overall well-being. That is why investing in the work that Boys Town South Florida does is so critically important. Everything we do is with the intent to strengthen the family and create a safe and stable home and community environment for children. We are so appreciative of our board members, staff, partners, donors and volunteers that support our efforts to serve at-risk children and families in our community. Thank you to all of you for your support that enables Boys Town to continue to serve even more families and children in the coming years.
Sincerely,
Bethany LaceyExecutive Director