The Alliance for Children and Youth strives to build on the strength and capacity already available within families and the community at large. We recognize that there are challenges inherent in raising healthy children and, at times, kids need to receive services. But we must first recognize the significant contributions that kids make to our community.

It is this ‘strengths over deficits’ philosophy that guides our work.

We employ two complimentary strategies for promoting the value of kids. The first is to work within our own membership to integrate a strength-based philosophy into services and policies. The second is to use broad promotional activities to deliver messages about the value of children and youth - that fostering their potential benefits our whole community.

These two strategies together are intended to create a shift in public attitude and eventually social policy, to get children, youth and families to the top of our community’s priority list.

The Alliance for Children and Youth is currently working with the Region of Waterloo - Healthy Babies Healthy Children and the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Council to develop common messages about valuing children and youth. Partnerships with other organizations are in their early stages.

Please take a moment to view the 15-second commercial produced by senior media students at Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute. This commercial ran on CKCO during the summer of 2003. Play Commercial (~ 748 KB, Windows Media Audio/Video file).