About

Understanding Youth Care​

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The 1992 meeting of the International Child and Youth Care Education Consortium adopted the following definitions of child and youth care practice:

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Professional Child and Youth Care practice focuses on the infant, child and adolescent, both normal and with special needs, within the context of the family, the community and the life-space. The developmental-ecological perspective emphasizes the interaction between persons and the physical and social environments, including cultural and political settings.

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Professional practitioners promote the optimal development of children, youth and their families in a variety of settings, such as early care and education, community-based child and youth development programs, parent education and family support, school-based programs, community mental health, group homes, residential centers, rehabilitation programs, pediatric health care and juvenile justice programs.

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Child and Youth Care practice includes skills in assessing client and program needs, designing and implementing programs and planned environments, integrating developmental, preventive and therapeutic requirements into the life-space, contributing to the development of knowledge and professions, and participating in systems interventions through direct care, supervision, administration, teaching, research, consultation and advocacy.