Success Stories
Family-Teachers:
The Backbone of
Boys Town
Family-Teachers are the backbone of Boys Town’s residential care programs, many stating it's not a job, but rather a mission. Herman and Yvonne Clayton have dedicated 28 years in this significant role as Family-Teachers in Boys Town Louisiana.
"It's enjoyable because everybody wants to come back to see where they've been. They have to show that I have a family. So that's what it's all about, family."
Watch Herman and Yvonne Clayton's Story
Well, first of all, welcome to our home, and I'm glad that you all are here because this is a very, a very good cause.
Uh, to me, Boystown is a place where of, uh, a kind of salvation for a kid that's really lost and some that just need help. How many years have you been here now? 28 years. So they've been, the Clayton's have been in this house 28
years and been with Boystown for 28 years.
And I don't think people realize how big of a testament that is to their character, man.
On average, how many kids do you, you think you've had here?
At Least three or 400. So out of three to 400 kids, you have to build a relationship with each one. You have to put the efforts in. And to be doing that consistently for 28 years, with over three to 400 kids like myself, us as children, we, we, we don't come in here because we're good children and
because we're coming to make your life peaceful.
We come in here because we have issues and we need everything I mentioned earlier from love to respect to education, um, to, to being taught skills. And you guys gotta have the patience to sit there with each individual child and teach 'em those things. So like, I think it's very commendable for You'all.
They don't call me for Mothers Day, but they call Herman for Fathers Day because everybody had a mama, but they didn't have a father. So they would call Herman on Fathers Day.
It's Very rewarding to see how they advance from, uh, being really young.
And as they start to mature, uh, as young men, then that's, that's reward enough to kind of keep you around.
And you really don't notice a time before, you know, is, is slipped away and it's, it they're wrong men and, and they're coming back and, uh, uh, and, and saying, Hey man, I'm glad you were able to be part of my life and you really helped out a lot. You know, It's enjoyable because everybody wants to come back to see where they been. They have to show that I had some, I have a family, you know, so that's, that's what it's all about.
Family.
