Sixteen-Year Study Documents Lasting Results of Boys Town Care

This study involved participants between 27 and 37 years old who, on average, had left Boys Town’s Treatment Family Home (residential) Program 16 years earlier. The purpose was to determine if former Boys Town youth continue to use what they learned in our residential program long after they leave.

The study compared the results from study participants with national data from the U.S. population at large. The national data mirrored the age, sex and racial proportions of the study respondents. Two significant results emerged:

• Former Boys Town youth were nearly identical to the general population in most comparison areas;
• The longer kids stay in Boys Town’s residential program, the more they improve.

These youth arrived at Boys Town with a myriad of behavioral, emotional and psychological problems and held the potential to be long-term drains on society resources. The study showed that, 16 years later, these same kids have grown into productive, contributing members of society. The study results are stunning and a testament to the long-term cost effectiveness of the Boys Town model of care. If these children are not helped, the cost to society will be much greater than the cost of their care.

Productivity

The group that received care for 18 months or more was similar to the national norms in the area of completing high school or higher education. that group was just slightly lower than the national norms in the areas of current employment and personal income of more than $20,000.

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Citizenship

Both groups that received care exceeded the national norm in the area of charity work. the 18-months-or-more group exceeded the national norm in the area of military service, and was similar to the national norm in the area of voter registration.

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Well-Being

In each of these three measures of well-being, the group that received care for 18 months or more slightly exceeded or was similar to the national norms.

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Family Relationships

The group that received care for 18 months or more was similar to the national norms in the areas of no domestic abuse and being currently married. That group reported a greater rate of high involvement with their children (helping with homework and playing with them) than the national norms. These results indicate that the intervention played a role in breaking the cycle of abuse that is common in this at-risk population.

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