About Us
Our Mission: Research | Engage | Advocate
To improve the health, well-being, and safety of children, youth, and families in Arlington through researching young people’s needs, advocating for improved policies and programs to meet those needs, and engaging all members of our community as part of the solution.
Our Vision
Arlington, a community where all young people and families are valued, supported and empowered.
APCYF is a unique advisory group where community members partner with Arlington County and Arlington Public Schools (APS) staff to improve the wellbeing of children, youth, and families through research, advocacy, and community engagement. Created in 1999, we are dedicated to promoting equity as we work to strengthen the bonds of our community and provide a network of support for community members. APCYF focuses on centering the voices of youth and families as we engage in our work, including through our partner Teen Network Board – a high school student advocacy group that provides community voice for Arlington youth. APCYF also provides data and analysis needed to achieve health and wellbeing in our community.
APCYF partners with APS on the Your Voice Matters survey to inform our understanding of children, youth and family wellbeing in Arlington so we may address community needs. APCYF also analyzes data and reports to the community on the Virginia Youth Survey (formerly known as the Youth Risk Behavior Survey), which focuses on youth risk behaviors that impact student health. Together, we can make positive differences in the lives of all Arlington families. Join us for a meeting.
History of APCYF
Looking back at 20 years of Partnership…
June 1998: Arlington County Board and Arlington County School Board launched the Task Force on Youth to guide a community conversation to develop strategies to prevent youth risk behaviors. Along with programmatic recommendations, the Task Force recommended that the County and School Boards establish a permanent group of citizens and School and County staff who would work together to develop a consistent community agenda for Arlington’s children and their families.
- Starting healthy, staying healthy
- Stable and secure families
- Educational readiness and success
- Safe and supportive community.
Community Partners
We do not work in a silo. Our starting point for any community discussion is to prioritize the greatest needs of youth and develop key community indicators. The County DHS' Children's Behavioral Health Bureau is out greatest ally in support mental health for families.
We also work with Arlington community partners to help with this.