Check out the story on Cape Cod Times.
Anyone who calls Cape Cod home knows that life here is different. It’s more than just the summer crowds and sandy beaches. Year-round, life on the Cape is built on tight-knit communities, where neighbors lend a hand without being asked, where small businesses survive because locals support them in the off-season, and where people are fiercely protective of what makes this place special. Whether you’ve lived here for generations or just a few years, you understand that Cape Cod isn’t just a place—it’s a way of life. That’s why it’s so heartbreaking to know that every year, children from our own communities are forced to leave Cape Cod—not because of a move or a family decision, but because there simply aren’t enough foster homes to keep them here when they need one. Last year, 188 children on the Cape required a safe, stable foster placement, but in too many cases, there was no available home nearby. Instead, these kids were sent away from their schools, their friends, and everything familiar to them. For a child already experiencing the trauma of separation from their family, being uprooted from their community can make an already difficult situation even more painful. Foster families are the backbone of keeping our children connected to their hometowns. Right now, the Cape needs more of them.
The reasons children enter foster care are complex, but at the heart of it, they need what every child does: love, stability, and a sense of belonging. And there is no better place for them to find that than right here, in the community they already know. Recognizing this growing need, Boys Town New England is expanding its foster care services to Cape Cod. Boys Town New England has been supporting children and families in Massachusetts for over 30 years, and now, the focus is on ensuring that Cape Cod kids can stay in their community. The goal is to recruit and support local families who are willing to foster, so children don’t have to leave the Cape to find a safe, stable home. Fostering can feel overwhelming at first, but no one has to do it alone—Boys Town offers training, guidance, and ongoing support every step of the way, so foster parents feel confident, prepared, and connected. This expansion will also provide resources to help foster parents navigate the challenges and joys of fostering, ensuring they have the tools and support they need to succeed. But this can’t happen without the involvement of the community. Cape Cod has always taken care of its own, coming together when a small business is struggling, when a family loses their home to fire, when a neighbor needs help shoveling out after a blizzard. The children of Cape Cod need that same kind of support. They deserve to grow up here, surrounded by the people and places they know and love. If you’ve ever thought about fostering, now is the time to learn more. If you want to help but aren’t sure how, start by having the conversation. The more we come together, the more children we can keep close to home—where they belong.
Sarah Galvan
Executive Director, Boys Town New England