Boys Town North Florida

Boys Town North Florida was Boys Town’s first pilot program outside of Omaha, Neb. Its success lead to Boys Town’s expansion of direct care programs to a dozen states. The program began with one home and now has grown to five residential homes to help hundreds of children and families each year.

Boys Town North Florida Celebrates 25 Years

Twenty-five years ago, a one-home experiment in Tallahassee provided the spark that led to Boys Town’s expansion of direct care programs to a dozen states across America.

Boys Town North Florida received licensing on August 1, 1983, beginning with a single home providing Treatment Family Services to children. Today, programs at the site include five homes and link to a variety of prevention and intervention programs serving children and families statewide.

From that first home in North Florida, Boys Town has expanded its direct care programs to a dozen states, providing effective care programs to 51,000 children nationwide. In addition, nearly 1.5 million children and families receive direct assistance through Boys Town’s Child and Family Support Services, including the Boys Town National Hotline.

Ken Bender, Boys Town North Florida Executive Director, sees only continued growth for the Florida site and the entire Boys Town organization, thanks to community support. “Boys Town North Florida will continue to grow and serve more children and families, due to the great support from the Tallahassee community – they are always there supporting our youth and staff,” said Bender. “Without community support, the organization would not be where it is today.”