BCYF Prepares Boston’s Youth for Success

The results of our recent Youth Quality Feedback Survey confirmed the impact BCYF has had on generation’s of Boston’s youth and families and has been known before only through individual stories.

Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) serves Boston youth and families in every neighborhood by providing opportunities for residents to thrive through programming, connection to resources, and building relationships. BCYF currently engages 159,000 members who made 875,000 visits in the last year. BCYF has embarked upon a multi-year effort to strengthen and report on our impact. On June 7, BCYF Commissioner Marta E. Rivera released the results of BCYF's 2024 Youth Quality Feedback Survey. The results confirmed the impact BCYF has had on generation’s of Boston’s youth and families and has been known before only through individual stories. The data revealed that most BCYF core young people feel safe, have fun, and feel like they belong at their BCYF Center. Core youth are those between the ages of 8-18 who have participated for at least a year and attend BCYF programming at least twice a week on average.

Key Survey Findings

Check out the detailed data at the end of this report.

Of the 725 youth who took the survey:

95% always or often feel safe at BCYF centers.
95% always or often have fun at BCYF centers.
92% always or often feel like they belong at BCYF centers.
98% say at least one adult at BCYF centers cares about them.

What does this tell us?

Taken all together, what do the survey results tell us about BCYF? And more importantly, what do the results mean for the youth and families of Boston? BCYF provides the essential foundation for thousands of our City’s youth! For over 50 years, BCYF has provided what our City’s diverse youth and families need to grow into the next generation of healthy, successful Bostonians!

When asked “What resources has BCYF helped you connect with?” the responses listed a broad range of services provided by community centers, with a significant focus on job opportunities and homework help. Food and sports activities featured prominently as well, demonstrating the centers' role in meeting both basic needs and extracurricular engagement. Many responses indicated that community centers play a significant role in personal development, providing not just practical help but also fostering social connections and personal growth. Several responses mention specific programs (e.g., SuperTeens, Success Link) and individuals (e.g., Barbara and Debra, John, David), showing the importance of personalized support and recognizable programs in the respondents' experiences. The detailed accounts of individual support and specific programs underscore the importance of tailored assistance and the positive impact of these community services on the respondents' lives.

Also asked was what participants liked and disliked about BCYF. The survey responses show participants greatly value the community and supportive environment at BCYF, along with the diverse activities and opportunities it provides. The sense of belonging, safety, and personal growth contributed to their positive experiences. Participants shared comments such as “They teach me new things.” and "It’s like my second home." As for the dislikes, while the vast majority (406) expressed they had no dislikes, among those that did list dislikes there was a large focus on resources not available to the centers such as a lack of air conditioning, space and time limitations, and funding for field trips along with a small number of personal preferences such as not liking the offered snacks, wishing there were more open gym times, and not wanting their younger siblings to be there with them.

Why is this important?

The quality relationships youth experience at our BCYF Centers provide an essential foundation for healthy development and successful life outcomes. Young people need to feel safe, know they belong, rely on trustworthy adults who care about them, and experience engaging opportunities to connect with their peers and explore their interests. A great body of research tells us that youth with these assets are likely to develop into successful, thriving, caring adults; youth who do not have these assets are less likely to thrive.

Search Institute’s Developmental Assets, the most widely utilized positive youth development framework in the world, describe the external experiences and opportunities that young people need to make good choices, take responsibility for their own lives, be independent, and thrive. These include healthy non-parent adult relationships, safety in their community, constructive use of time, and perceiving that adults value them.
US AID notes that young people worldwide need to experience healthy relationships and bonding, belonging and membership, and safe space as essential parts of an enabling environment for youth to become healthy, productive, and engaged as they grow into adulthood.
4-H describes that youth need a place to belong, matter, and explore their personal spark. High-quality settings foster developmental relationships with youth, to help ensure a nourishing developmental context – a place where youth can belong and grow.