About

MISSION

Boston Youth Sanctuary provides a safe and nurturing environment where at-risk youth are encouraged to express themselves positively and gain sustainable coping skills that aid in academic, community and home life success.

Youth that attend BYS After School Program will graduate feeling empowered and better equipped to face the challenges that arise in their daily lives.

WHO WE ARE

Boston Youth Sanctuary (BYS) is a therapeutic after-school program for youth ages 6-11 that have experienced traumatic events or circumstances in their lives. BYS works with children and families from the Boston community providing clinical and case management services designed to improve youths’ functioning in home, community and academic settings. BYS works to address the needs of children across all life domains by providing wrap-around services to them and their families in one centralized location.

OUR YOUTH

BYS serves youth ages 6-11 who live in inner-city Boston. BYS youth have experienced a variety of traumas including but not limited to the violent deaths of parents/siblings, neglect, homelessness, foster care, and physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse. BYS youth need not have a formal diagnosis of PTSD but must present with symptoms suggesting a socio-emotional impact of the trauma that they have experienced. BYS youth come from a variety of academic settings and familial structures, and BYS is committed to meeting children and families where they are.