EIN: 82-4681676
Mission Statement
CYFA uses collective impact, restorative practices, education, and advocacy to transform system and create sustainable community conditions for children, youth, and families to thrive in safe and healthy communities.
Program Summary
At CYFA, we work to bring to life the words of Frederick Douglass: “It is easier to build strong children than repair broken men.” Through collective impact, restorative practices, education, and advocacy, we empower youth and families, breaking down barriers and creating sustainable, community-based systems that provide the resources and opportunities necessary for individuals to achieve their goals and realize their potential.
At the core of our mission is the BuildStrong Initiative, a dynamic framework addressing the needs of youth and families at all stages of engagement with community support. This initiative connects programs focused on prevention, early intervention, and systemic transformation, ensuring that lasting change is achieved at both the individual and community level.
Our Integrated Model of Partnership to Achieve Community-Based Transformation (IMPACT) brings together public and private stakeholders to design and implement sustainable, community-driven solutions. One example is the Children & Youth Master Plan in Danville, Virginia, which prioritizes systemic change over isolated interventions. Additionally, our Addressing Root Causes (ARC) Initiative works to tackle systemic inequities, influence public policy, and create frameworks for equitable funding, such as Arlington County’s efforts to build an equitable allocation model for discretionary funding.
Central to CYFA’s work is the Youth Restorative Diversion Initiative (YRDI), which includes transformative programs like Promoting Empathy through Equitable Resolution (PEER) and Youth Peer Court (YPC). YRDI helps to divert youth from entering the juvenile justice system by empowering them to take accountability for their actions in a supportive, restorative environment. Through PEER, youth resolve harm through community-led circles, and YPC provides a peer-driven alternative to the traditional court system. Over the past 18 months, YRDI in Arlington has received 102 referrals from law enforcement, juvenile court, Arlington Public Schools, and the community, with a 100% completion rate.
CYFA also fosters community healing through programs like Relax, Relate, Restore (RRR), which creates safe spaces for dialogue and connection, and Real Experiences Assisting Community Healing (REACH), which trains “credible messengers” within communities to guide at-risk youth toward healing. Through REACH, we have trained 45 gang-connected youth in Danville as peer leaders through the Youth Peer Court Ambassador Academy©, empowering them to lead transformative change in their communities.Through education and advocacy, CYFA addresses legal and systemic obstacles that limit access to opportunity. Our Legal Advocacy Workshops (LAW) have equipped over 100 youth with the tools to protect their rights, including a juvenile expungement initiative in partnership with the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center. The Guiding Personal Success (GPS) program provides social-emotional learning opportunities to youth connected to Affordable Homes and Communities, with our current cohort of 15 elementary school students receiving bi-monthly afterschool programming focused on promoting mental health, physical well-being, resilience, and positive life choices. Additionally, CYFA’s Campaign to Amplify Racial Equity (CARE) offers community members the chance to deepen their understanding of how racism impacts our systems and daily lives. Through community outreach, educational workshops, and open dialogues, this campaign encourages individuals to actively engage in dismantling systemic racism, fostering a more equitable society for all.
CYFA is committed to creating lasting change through community-driven solutions that empower youth, families, and communities to thrive.
Impact Statement
The Youth Restorative Diversion Initiative (YRDI) is a critical public-private safety initiative that provides young people restorative pathways to avoid formal legal system involvement, and the negative psychological, academic, and health outcomes associated with system involvement, through community-based programming. The YRDI not only helps youth succeed but also improves public safety and enhances the effective and efficient use of public resources.
The more contact a young person has with the juvenile legal system, the higher their risk of negative outcomes. “Pre-arrest diversion,” also known as “deflection,” removes the primary entry point into the legal system by proactively positioning law enforcement officers in a continuum of care focused on connecting young people with community-based resources to address the harms resulting from their actions in lieu of arrest.
Deflection has been found to be more effective at reducing recidivism (or future harmful conduct) than conventional judicial interventions.
The YRDI is Arlington’s only deflection program for youth, and it is a success. On September 17, 2024, CYFA shared the YRDI’s Year 1 data to the ACB: https://tinyurl.com/bdf5ramu
Additional data can be found on our website at: https://cyfadvocacy.org/arlington-county/
What ways can the public get involved?
Each person’s individual power to lead, lend support, and take action drive real and sustained change in the community, particularly in advancing CYFA’s mission. There are a number of ways you can join our Civic Circle:
How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?
Your donation to CYFA directly supports transformative programs that empower youth and families. It funds initiatives such as the PEER, YPC, and YPC Ambassador Academy© programs, which provide restorative justice opportunities to help young people take accountability and grow. These programs are designed to equip youth with the skills to implement restorative practices in their daily lives, building leadership and reimagining public safety in their communities. Your support also sustains our Guiding Personal Success programs, which offer youth vital social-emotional learning and personal development, while the Listen Learn Lead Summit empowers middle and high school students to embrace leadership.
Additionally, your contribution helps fund quarterly Teen Timeout programs that focus on youth mental and physical well-being, as well as our Law Day event, which ensures youth have the knowledge to protect their rights. CYFA also fosters community healing through Relax, Relate, Restore (RRR) circles, addressing critical issues and building connections. Your donation supports end-of-summer and back-to-school events, equipping children and families with the tools they need to succeed. These programs promote healthy minds, healthy bodies, and healthy relationships, creating a foundation for young people to thrive. Your generosity drives lasting change and strengthens the resilience of our communities.
Information provided March 2025