Rachel Evans
Boys Town is a non-profit, non-sectarian child and family care organization that was founded by Irish Catholic priest Father Edward Flanagan in 1917. The organization is headquartered in the village of Boys Town, Nebraska, and offers a range of services including child and family care, community programs, crisis services, and health and medical care. While Boys Town is not a Catholic or religious institution, it embraces all faiths and encourages spiritual growth among the youth in its care. The organization has helped thousands of children over the years and continues to be a leader in child and family care.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Organization | Boys Town is a non-profit, non-sectarian, faith-based organization |
| Religious Affiliation | Boys Town is not a Catholic or religious institution but was founded by an Irish Catholic priest, Father Edward Flanagan, and has always had a Catholic priest as its national executive director |
| Mission | To save children, heal families, and strengthen communities |
| Services | Boys Town offers a broad spectrum of child and family services, community programs, crisis services, and health and medical care |
| Locations | Boys Town has 11 sites across the country, including its national headquarters in the Village of Boys Town, Nebraska |
| Reach | Boys Town serves millions of people each year through its physical locations, national hotline, books, and online resources |
| History | Founded in 1917, Boys Town has been helping at-risk children and families for over 100 years |
| Population Served | Boys Town serves boys and girls of all faiths and those with no faith, with girls making up 50% of the youth on campus |
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What You'll Learn
Boys Town is a faith-based, non-sectarian organization
Boys Town is a non-profit, non-sectarian, faith-based child and family care organization. It was founded by Irish Catholic priest Father Edward Flanagan over a century ago in 1917. Father Flanagan's mission to save children and heal families has continued for over 100 years. Boys Town has helped tens of thousands of young people and currently serves over three million people annually through its national hotline, books, and online resources.
Boys Town is based in the village of Boys Town, Nebraska, which was designated as an official village in 1936. The village includes the Hall of History, the restored home of Father Flanagan, the Dowd Memorial Chapel, and the Chambers Protestant Chapel. The village was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985.
Although Boys Town was founded by a Catholic priest, it is not a Catholic organization and has never been one. Boys Town embraces all faiths and encourages the spiritual development of the children in its care. Father Flanagan famously said, "Every boy must learn how to pray; how he prays is up to him." He believed that faith and spirituality are essential in the lives of children, but they must be able to practice their own unique faith. Boys Town has children of many different faiths and those of no faith.
Boys Town offers a broad spectrum of child and family services, community programs, and crisis services. It also provides health and medical care through the Boys Town National Research Hospital and other resources. Boys Town conducts cutting-edge research on child behavior issues and offers outpatient behavioral health programs and residential care programs for children with severe behavioral problems. In addition to its national headquarters in Nebraska, Boys Town has a network of nationwide locations that offer life-changing services to children and families.
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Boys Town was founded by Catholic priest, Father Edward Flanagan
Boys Town is a non-profit, non-sectarian child and family care organization. It was founded in 1917 by Father Edward Flanagan, an Irish Catholic priest. Father Flanagan purchased Overlook Farm on the outskirts of Omaha in 1921, and moved his boys' home there. The Home became known as the Village of Boys Town, and by the 1930s, hundreds of boys lived there. The village included a school, dormitories, and administration buildings. Boys elected their own government, including a mayor, council, and commissioners.
Father Flanagan believed that all children deserved a loving home and a chance to succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances. He famously said, "there's no such thing as a bad boy", and that "every boy must pray; how he prays is up to him". He believed that faith and spirituality were important in the lives of children, but that they should be able to practice their own faith. Although Boys Town is not a Catholic or religious institution, Father Flanagan's faith-driven vision still guides the organization. Boys Town accepts and cares for boys and girls of all faiths and those of no faith.
The national headquarters of Boys Town is in the village of Boys Town, Nebraska, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985. The village includes the Hall of History, dedicated to the history of Boys Town; the restored home of Father Flanagan; the Dowd Memorial Chapel and the Chambers Protestant Chapel; and the Leon Myers Stamp Center, which provides historical stamp-collecting exhibits and sells donated stamps to support Boys Town programs.
In addition to its physical locations, Boys Town reaches millions of people annually through its national hotline, books, and online resources. The organization also operates the Boys Town National Research Hospital in Omaha, which is a leader in clinical and research programs focusing on childhood deafness and related communication disorders. Boys Town also provides services for children with severe behavioral problems through its Outpatient Behavioral Health and residential care programs.
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Boys Town is not a Catholic organization
Boys Town is a non-profit, non-sectarian child and family care organization that is one of the largest in the United States. It was founded in 1917 by Irish Catholic priest Father Edward Flanagan, who moved the organization to Overlook Farm on the outskirts of Omaha in 1921.
Although Boys Town was founded by a Catholic priest, it is not a Catholic organization. Boys Town is a faith-based organization that welcomes all faiths and allows all children to practice their own religion. Father Flanagan believed that faith and spirituality are important in the lives of children, but that they should be able to practice their own unique faith. He famously said, "Every boy must learn how to pray; how he prays is up to him."
Boys Town has been intentionally designed to be inclusive of all faiths. It works together with the Omaha Archdiocese to have one of their priests serve as both the parish priest and Boys Town's spiritual leader and guide. This spiritual leader helps ensure that the faith and spirituality of all the children continue to thrive.
Boys Town offers a broad spectrum of child and family services, community programs, and crisis services. It also provides health and medical care through Boys Town National Research Hospital and other resources, as well as conducting research on child behavior issues. Boys Town has helped tens of thousands of children over the past century, with 90% of children served remaining in their own homes and communities.
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Boys Town embraces all faiths and spiritualities
Boys Town is a non-profit, non-sectarian child and family care organization that provides a range of services to support children and families. Although Boys Town was founded by an Irish Catholic priest, Father Edward Flanagan, it is not a Catholic organization and has never been one.
Father Flanagan believed that all children, regardless of their background or circumstances, deserved a loving home and the opportunity to succeed. He also believed that faith and spirituality played a crucial role in helping children heal and find strength. He famously said, "Every boy must learn how to pray; how he prays is up to him". This quote reflects his belief that while prayer and spirituality are essential, individuals should be free to practice their faith in their own unique way.
Boys Town embraces and encourages all faiths, providing opportunities for youth to explore and develop their spirituality. The organization has worked with the Omaha Archdiocese, and its national executive director has always been a Catholic priest. However, Boys Town has always welcomed children of all faiths and those with no religious affiliation. The village of Boys Town, Nebraska, includes the Dowd Memorial Chapel and the Chambers Protestant Chapel, reflecting its openness to different Christian denominations.
The basic tenet of most faiths, according to Boys Town, is love. They emphasize the importance of teaching and practicing love, both for others and for oneself. By creating a loving, faith-filled environment, Boys Town aims to nurture the hearts and minds of the youth in their care. They recognize that many of the children who come to them have not experienced love, so they strive to provide a supportive and compassionate community where these children can heal and grow.
In addition to spiritual guidance, Boys Town offers a broad spectrum of services, including health and medical care through the Boys Town National Research Hospital, innovative child and family care, and cutting-edge research on child behavior issues. They also provide resources for parents and caregivers, such as Parenting.org, an online parenting resource. Through their various programs and initiatives, Boys Town has touched the lives of millions of people across the country.
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Boys Town provides health and medical care
Boys Town is a non-profit, non-sectarian organisation that provides health and medical care to children and families. It was founded in 1917 by Irish Catholic priest Father Edward Flanagan, with the mission to save children and heal families. The organisation has provided health and medical care for over 100 years, with a focus on childhood deafness, visual impairment, and related communication disorders.
Boys Town offers a broad spectrum of health and medical services through the Boys Town National Research Hospital and other resources. The hospital was founded in 1977 and is located in Omaha, Nebraska. It has a sister hospital, Boys Town National Research Hospital – West, which is operated on the Boys Town campus. Additionally, Boys Town operates several medical clinics in Nebraska and one in Iowa.
The Boys Town National Research Hospital is recognised as an international leader in clinical and research programs. The hospital's work focuses on childhood deafness, visual impairment, and communication disorders. Boys Town also operates the Institute for Human Neuroscience, which conducts cutting-edge research on child behaviour issues and creates new types of therapies for neurodevelopmental disorders.
Boys Town's health and medical services extend beyond the physical locations of its hospitals and clinics. They offer a national hotline, books, and online resources such as Parenting.org, which provides parenting advice and support. Boys Town's Residential Treatment Centre was established to help children with behavioural problems, and their Outpatient Behavioural Health programs offer additional support in this area.
The organisation has a long history of providing healthcare services. During the Spanish influenza pandemic, Father Flanagan created a program at Boys Town to care for ill children. An infirmary was built and run by nuns, and in 1955, a hospital was constructed to serve the 900 boys living in the village during the 1950s and 1960s. This hospital closed in 1973, and the current Boys Town National Research Hospital was established in 1977.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Boys Town is not a Catholic organization. It is a faith-based, nonsectarian organization that embraces all faiths and encourages spiritual growth in children.
Boys Town serves children of all faiths, including those with no faith. The children are free to practice their own faith.
Faith and spirituality are considered important in the lives of the children at Boys Town. Father Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town, famously said, "Every boy must learn how to pray; how he prays is up to him."
Boys Town is not a religious institution. However, it was founded by a Catholic priest, Father Edward Flanagan, and has worked together with the Omaha Archdiocese.
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