Rutledge Youth Foundation was Founded in 1952 as Boy’s Farm.
The Agency began when a group of prominent citizens, headed by O. J. Keller, Jr., decided that there needed to be a place in the Springfield area that was an alternative to the Department of Corrections for teens who were experiencing minor problems with the Law. While visiting a boys school in the Chicago area Mr. Keller met Mr. Martin Willard, who later became the first superintendent at Boys Farm in 1952.
After its establishment in Buffalo, Illinois, Boys Farm quickly grew from serving 8 boys to serving 16.
In 1979, the Agency Board of Directors moved the Agency to Springfield and began serving both boys and girls. Since then, the services offered by the Agency have changed to meet the growing needs in the community. The same traditional values taught to the boys at Boys Farm are still being taught to the youth at Rutledge Youth Foundation. The primary focus of services is protecting youth and teaching adolescent boys and girls independent living skills so that they become productive members of society.
The Rutledge Youth Foundation serves approximately 300 abused/neglected teens annually between the ages of 0 and 21. The services provided to these teens as well as the ways in which you can become involved with the Agency are detailed further on this Web Site.