Children, Youth, and Families

APA Services advocates for policies to prevent children’s exposure to violence and expand access to treatment and essential services for children who have experienced violence.

Our focus

Fighting for the civil rights for families and children
APA works to ensure psychology informs policies around refugees and immigration, child maltreatment, child welfare, family homelessness, juvenile justice, juvenile solitary confinement, childcare access, quality education, paid family leave, and other critical issues.
Promote children’s mental and behavioral health
APA works to ensure that children’s development of social, emotional, and behavioral well-being is central to their overall healthy development. We support the dissemination and implementation of health promotion and prevention practices to ensure children’s well-being and equity. We support the early identification of mental health and developmental needs across settings, including pediatric integrated primary care, pre-K–12 education, child welfare, juvenile justice, and other places where children live, learn, play, and grow.
Advocate for policies to prevent child abuse and expand access to treatment and essential services for children who have experienced trauma
APA promotes the application of psychological knowledge to prevent violence and trauma, making available evidence-based treatments to reduce injury and lifelong impacts on mental health and health. APA also disseminates evidence-based child maltreatment prevention and early intervention strategies to parents in communities through our ACT: Raising Safe Kids Program.

Our efforts on this issue advance the following advocacy priorities:

Access to health services, including mental and behavioral health services
Criminal justice
Health promotion and prevention throughout lifespan and settings
Violence and suicide prevention

Everyday advocacy really matters. Increasing the numbers of psychologists and trainees involved in advocacy efforts and political fundraising will benefit each of us and our profession.
—Sharon L. Berry, PhD, ABPP

What you can do

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Related Issues

Contact us

Stefanie Reeves, FASAE, CAE
Deputy Chief of Public Policy and Engagement

Kenneth Polishchuk
Deputy Chief for Education and Training Policy

Krysta Jones
Director of Congressional and Federal Relations

Email APA Advocacy Office

Recent advocacy on children, youth, and families

Trying on a new hat: Lessons from a summer at the policy table

September 23, 2026

This summer, Christina Carr traded neighborhood organizing for Capitol Hill, advocating on gun violence, juvenile justice, and federal funding as APA's 2026 Dalmas A. Taylor Policy Fellow

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Advocating for mental health services in juvenile justice facilities

July 13, 2026

APA Services submitted comments to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights calling for a rehabilitative focus for justice-involved youth

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Urging Congress to preserve federal protections for students with disabilities

June 25, 2026

Along with coalition colleagues, APA Services called on Congress to block the transfer of Education Department offices that oversee programs for students with disabilities and civil rights protections

APA Services welcomes five new members to the Advocacy Coordinating Committee

November 4, 2025

APA Services welcomes five new members to its Advocacy Coordinating Committee, which guides the association’s advocacy priorities each year. Meet the new appointees shaping psychology’s voice in public policy

More on children, youth, and families

Office of Children, Youth, and Families

The Children, Youth and Families Office is the focal point for APA related activities pertaining to children. Its mission is to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge on child development issues to benefit society and improve the lives of all children and their families.

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Understanding racial inequities in school discipline

This Speaking of Psychology podcast features Amanda Sullivan, PhD, and Ivory Toldson, PhD, who are experts on discipline disparities in pre-K to 12 schools.

Last updated: October 2024Date created: October 2021