Fifty Years of the Teaching-Family Model at Boys Town: Keys to Sustainability

This review article is part of a special issue of Residential Treatment for Children and Youth celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Teaching-Family Model (TFM) at Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home, Boys Town, Nebraska. The manuscript provides a historical account from experts of the TFM who initially created the organizational changes at Boys Town for the TFM to be used as intended and sustain for 50 years. Resources that were essential for the organizational changes included the technology of the TFM (i.e. administration, training, consultation, and evaluation systems), consumer orientation, feedback, and teaching skills. Additionally, the article describes five factors that have contributed to sustainability such as 1) using data effectively, 2) culture of success, 3) model expertise, 4) quality standards, and 5) research focus. The review concludes with implications for future practice and research.