Twenty Years of Doing Better for Kids

Dave Boothe can attest that seeing is believing. In the 20 years since joining Wayside, Dave has met a variety of kids, from all different backgrounds, each with their own struggles. He has worked with thousands of kids through the years. The circumstances may change, but one thing is steady – the people.

“It’s the people here who keep you,” said Dave, an overnight supervisor on the Framingham campus. “You just have to come here and check it out and see what a great environment it is.”

Dave works overnights and although he has less contact with the kids than the daytime staff, he does interact with them enough to know they are just that, kids. Dave said although his childhood was much different from many of the kids he meets on the campus, he tries to relate to them because many are just in need of adult support and guidance.

The Framingham Campus has six group homes – three boys and three girls – where approximately 82 kids live, and participate in both short term and long-term treatment. The kids who reside at our group homes have been separated from their families due to all kinds of issues, many of which are not the fault of the kids.

“Coming here, noticing what these kids are going through, seeing their challenges, a lot of it is the result of difficult environments and lack of structure,” he said. “Children are our future. We have care about them and we have to do better for them.”

As part of the 10th anniversary of Wayside’s Framingham campus, we are spotlighting staff who have been here from the beginning. To donate to our anniversary campaign, #10for10 click here.