The A4YC Steering Committee believes in “innovative practice for compassionate connections” and is united in its belief that:

• Youth facing high-risk circumstances, and all youth, deserve the opportunity to live their lives in a meaningful way, to feel safe, and experience a sense of inclusion and belonging.

• The current shift in practice toward a relationship-based focus needs to be reinforced and encouraged.

• This work with youth experiencing high-risk circumstances incorporates the most recent research, literature and trends in areas such as trauma, attachment and brain development in children and youth; harm reduction; resilience; strength-based practice; collaborative, multi-disciplinary practice; trauma-informed intervention; as presented by experts in the field.

• Youth can help inform practice and be instrumental in initiating and supporting positive change in policy.

• Youth are the “experts in their own lives” and need to be included in all aspects of service delivery.

• Reinforce the efforts being made to address current issues impacting youth, and create a forum to showcase progressive examples of practice that have demonstrated success in engaging youth.

• Youth and conference participants will come together in a spirit of learning and sharing, while celebrating the gifts that each of us have to offer.