The heart of all our services lies in our Boys Town Integrated Continuum of CareSM, which serves nearly 370,000 at-risk children and families each year. The Continuum is unique to Boys Town and provides a tightly integrated spectrum of research-proven services.

Get details about Boys Town’s Integrated Continuum of CareSM
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Stories of Healing

Musgrove

For years, Nicke and her family endured heartbreaking hardships that would tear most families apart. Anger, confusion and stress was a daily part of their lives, leading one child to eating disorders, drug and alcohol addictions, mental illnesses and suicidal thoughts. Though other families might have given up, the Musgrove's turned to Boys Town and were able to rebuild their lives.

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Lily

Growing up in a tough inner-city neighborhood was difficult for Lily. Every day she had to cross gang lines to get to her Chicago high school, and many of her friends were gunned down because of their affiliations. Eventually, Lily just stopped going to school so she could avoid the danger. After being placed with Boys Town, however, she raised her grade point average from a 1.5 to a 4.0 and is currently enrolled in college. She credits Boys Town for her success - and for her life. Watch her story.

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Shaw

When illness and unemployment hit the Shaw's family, it was their children who suffered the most. Jeremy, the Shaw's teenage son, was experiencing serious behavior issues, while their young daughter Alison was having trouble sleeping at night. A Boys Town family counselor and a stay for Jeremy at the Boys Town Family Home helped the entire family rebuild their lives by giving them the skills they needed to cope. Ultimately, this family was brought back "from the brink."

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Maya

Maya was a good student and well-behaved, but like many teenagers she went through a period of rebellion. Unlike most, however, her behavior led to serious trouble with the law. Maya's mother reached out to Boys Town for help, and Maya was placed in a Boys Town Family Home. To make a difficult situation even worse, Maya learned her parents were getting a divorce and her grandfather had passed away. Despite her anger and defiance, Maya eventually came to understand that her Family-Teachers only wanted the best for her. Watch to see how Maya became an outstanding leader and student at Boys Town and turned her life around.

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Maya's Story


Maya

Maya, a member of the Umonhon and Ho-Chunk people, grew up on the Omaha and Winnebago Indian Reservations in Nebraska. Her family was supportive and had high expectations for Maya, but she did what she felt like doing, and anyone who tried to stop her was the enemy. She began running with the wrong crowd. Always a good student, Maya’s grades slipped. Soon, she was in serious trouble with the law.


That’s when Maya’s mother desperately reached out to Boys Town for help.


When Maya was first admitted to a Boys Town’s Family Home, her old habits made life rough for her and everyone she lived with. During her first two months at Boys Town, Maya learned that her parents were divorcing and that her grandfather had passed away. This only made things worse for an already troubled child.


But Maya’s Family-Teachers never gave up. Behind her defiance, anger and despair, they saw goodness and a promising future. Gradually, Maya came to understand that she was being welcomed into a caring family where she had a chance to change.


Today, Maya is a senior at Boys Town High School. An excellent student, she’s maintained a 3.7 grade point average, in addition to playing sports and being involved in other extracurricular activities. In her Boys Town Family Home, she’s blossomed into a strong leader who encourages others when they are struggling. Maya’s leadership, hard work and dedication have earned her three college scholarships from Creighton University. One of Maya’s scholarships is for $80,000 over four years.


In addition, she has been accepted into Creighton’s Freshman Leadership Program, a prestigious learning community where a select group of students learn and develop strong leadership skills. Maya plans to get her undergraduate degree in nursing, apply to medical school and reach her ultimate career goal of becoming a doctor.

Demarco

Demarco had a tough life before coming to Boys Town. With a succession of foster and group homes during his early teenage year, he came to rely on only himself. But at the age of 15 he became part of a Boys Town family, whose members truly cared about him, opened a door to a brighter future. Watch Demarco describe how he turned his life around with Boys Town's help.

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Taylor

At a young age, Taylor was adopted. But later, when two more adopted children joined the family, Taylor's adoptive mother became more and more distant. As she struggled with her feelings of rejection, Taylor became angry and bitter, and she began acting out as a way to deal with her emotions and to get attention. Taylor didn't think anyone cared about her, and she'd given up hope that anyone ever would. Taylor needed extensive help, and Boys Town was there to provide it. She grew into an excellent student leader and a 4.0 student, earning a scholarship to Creighton University.

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Taylor's Story


Taylor

Taylor was a child without a place to really call home. At a young age, she was adopted. But later, when two more adopted children joined the family, Taylor’s adoptive mother became more and more distant.


Taylor struggled with her feelings of rejection and being unwanted by her parents and her adoptive parents. Discouraged, angry and bitter, she began acting out as a way to deal with her emotions and to get attention. Taylor didn’t think anyone cared about her, and she’d given up hope that anyone ever would.


When Taylor came to Boys Town, she first required the most intensive and restrictive level of care on our Integrated Continuum — the Intensive Residential Treatment Center, a secure facility with 24-hour monitoring. As she made progress, Taylor was able to step down to a more independent Boys Town program that featured a family-style living arrangement. It was about this time that Taylor made the decision that it was time to put her past behind her and move forward. Taylor began to work with her Family-Teachers and accept their help. Soon, she was able to move to our less-restrictive Family Home program, where, as part of a Boys Town family, she continued to learn skills and improve.


Now, Taylor is an excellent student and a vibrant member of the Boys Town community. She’s busy with extracurricular activities, and serves as a Boys Town Ambassador, one of a select group of students who represent Boys Town at public events.


Taylor also is about to fulfill her dream of attending college at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. She knew the only way this would happen was to earn a college scholarship – and that meant hard work and dedication to academics. A student with a 4.0 grade point average for most of her semesters at Boys Town and a member of Advanced Placement classes, Taylor applied what she learned about self-discipline and focus to earn not one, but two scholarships to Creighton. Now she is looking forward to one day being involved in the medical field.

Shaw