The Association for Child & Youth Care Practice, Inc. (ACYCP) is a membership organization of Child & Youth Care practitioners, service providers, and state and regional associations committed to improving the profession of child and youth care (CYC).

There are over 73 million young people in the USA under the age of 24 (Anne E. Casey Kids Count Data), and there are approximately 2.53 million “Youth Workers” in the USA (not including teachers in the education system) who serve these young people. This campaign - Youth Workers Build the Future - highlights the critical work Youth Workers do every day to build the future but supporting young people in becoming engaged, healthy and caring adults. 

Learn How Youth Workers Build the Future (video by Evan Coleman)

Youth Workers can be found in many major service settings including early childhood education, out-of-school-time, child welfare, congregate care, mental health, transitional living, employment, runaway & homeless services, recreation, juvenile justice, community-based youth services, and developmental disabilities. This campaign brings much-deserved recognition to these Youth Workers and appreciation for what they do. 

Check out the Media Kit for this campaign! 

ACYCP is the voice of practitioners from all sectors of the profession. Our members work in all of the major service settings including early childhood education, education, out-of-school-time, child welfare, congregate care, mental health, transitional living, employment, runaway & homeless services, recreation, juvenile justice, community-based youth services, and developmental disabilities.

ACYCP members accomplish a variety of critical roles including direct practice developmental support, casework, supervision, higher education, teaching, mentoring, coaching, administration, policy development, and research.

MISSION

ACYCP's mission is to engage practitioners in building the child and youth care profession. We build collaborative partnerships, promote innovative training and education, shape public policy, and inform developmental practice through research and scholarship.

VISION

We envision a society that recognizes, understands, and supports the essential role of child and youth care work in ensuring the well-being and success of children, youth, and families. ACYCP aspires to excel as an influential and innovative organization advancing child and youth care practice throughout the profession.

Since its founding in 1997, ACYCP has collaborated with its partners to lead the Child & Youth Care Profession forward. Its history includes:

• Creating the Journal of Child and Youth Care Work, one of the few journals in the world dedicated to the work of the direct care practitioner.
• Sponsoring national and international conferences to share knowledge and best practices.
• Representing US practitioners internationally through its membership in FICE (International Federation of Educative Communities).
• Creating the Standards for Practice of North American Child & Youth Care Professionals, the internationally recognized ethics code that describes values and principles that apply in all settings.
• Sponsoring the North American Certification Project which created a vision of an integrated field of CYC practice, established a standardized, normed certification program, and conducted research to establish the validity of the process.
• Co-sponsoring the Child & Youth Work Workforce Coalition to increase cross-sector collaboration addressing workforce issues.
• Creating the Child & Youth Care Certification Board to oversee credentialing and regulation of the field.

ACYCP VALUE PROPOSITION

There is probably no undertaking more essential to the stability of humanity than the nurturing of each generation into mature self-actualizing adults. This task falls mainly to youth and childcare workers. Often underpaid and overworked, these professionals are society’s first responders to the many crises, which can impact human development in the most formative years. Primarily through its professional certification program, the Association for Child and Youth Care Practice, Inc. (ACYCP) supports these care providers in the acquisition and use of best practices. Employing research-based methods, plus personal dedication ensures strong measurable outcomes. ACYCP bolsters both the individual and the collective field through communication, education, and advocacy. These activities encourage individual lifelong learning, self-care, and career dedication. As such, ACYCP seeks the financial support of its Vision and Mission, which guide its daily practices. ACYCP reaches every community of care across the entire spectrum of youth and childcare services, with proven results. Through the prudent stewardship of its resources by an all-volunteer staff and board, ACYCP has maximized its direct benefit to its members and the profession at large for over 40 years. An investment in ACYCP is an investment in the quality of tomorrow’s citizens.

Join us and help ACYCP bring the promise of child and youth work to all the children, youth, families, and communities of the United States and the world.