​​​Every Child's Story Deserves a Happy Ending

Abandonment. Abuse. For at-risk children, the barriers to happiness are everywhere; but you can give them the tools they need to succeed through the Teaching Family Model.​​

Not all children’s stories are the same, but they all deserve a happy ending. Boys Town can provide that through the Teaching Family Model and the Boys Town Family Home Program^SM. Listen to former Boys Town youth — Ashley, Lily and Isaac — share why we need high-quality, family-based residential care.

Innocence

As a young girl, Ashley was the victim of physical and sexual abuse. It was a dark time and Ashley had no biological family member to turn to. As a result, she was placed in foster care, where she transitioned thr​ough 15 foster homes before finally arriving at Boys Town. Today, Ashley has found the family she never had through Boys Town and has learned to trust those around her through the love and support of her Boys Town Family-Teachers^®.

​Triumph

Growing up on the mean streets of Chicago, simply making it through the day alive and in one piece was a victory for young Lily. Thankfully, she found Boys Town, which gave her the tools and support she needed to succeed. And today, Lily is a full-time nurse who has her whole life in front of her—unlike many of her childhood friends who are now behind bars or dead. See how Lily made the transformation from gang involvement to college graduate thanks to the support of people just like you.

Transformation

Isaac seemed destined for a future of poverty and crime. This feeling of hopelessness eventually led him to commit a serious act of violence—one that haunts him to this day. Thankfully, with the help of Boys Town and its team of educators and mentors, Isaac has gone from being an at-risk youth to a young man with a promising future in law and leadership. Click on the video to see Isaac's miraculous transformation.