Children First—Since 1885

In 1885, Portland’s civic leaders founded Boys & Girls Aid to find safe homes and permanent families for children with neither. More than 128 years later, we’re still making that happen. Boys & Girls Aid is dedicated to impacting the well-being of children in need. To do this, we offer programs for children and youth that provide permanent homes and safe places to stay temporarily.

A History of Caring

It is no coincidence that Boys & Girls Aid was founded just two years after the transcontinental railroad reached Portland. Oregon’s only city at that time, the railway opened Portland’s doors to a growing and diverse population. Entrepreneurs, adventurers, and opportunists crowded Portland’s streets. And so did homeless children.

Portland’s leaders came together in search of a solution. Rather than employ the traditional orphanage model, these men broke with convention. Children, they asserted, thrive best within a family. Boys & Girls Aid was created.

Unique because of our history, experience, and vision, Boys & Girls Aid continues to take the lead in providing innovative programs for children and families in Oregon.

Boys & Girls Aid is a 501(c)3 charity. The organization’s Federal Tax Identification Number is 93-0386791.