Американский фонд помощи детям и укрепления семьи

American charitable foundation

Originally a charity, chiefly focused on providing foster care, the organization gradually shifted to a broader role in attempting to advance child well being through social experimentation, research and publicity. Along the way, it divested its direct services foster care operation, while increasing its focus on family strengthening (a model that was proposed by the AECF) economic stability, community change research, advocacy and action. Through its extensive publicity efforts, the AECF has become a major source of information on the welfare of children in the United States,

From 1976 to 2012, the AECF operated Casey Family Services, a direct services organization that provided foster care and family services in the northeastern United States. Starting out in Connecticut and Vermont, the program expanded throughout New England and into Maryland before its closure in 2012. In 2014, the organization also released its Race for Results Index, comparing the previous 23 years of data accumulated on the well being of America's children—intending to start a national conversation about startling disparities between racial and ethnic groups. For the first time, this index was based on indicators of success: reading and math proficiency, high school graduation rates, teen birthrates, employment futures, neighborhood poverty levels, family income and education levels. Standardized scores, indicating the children's likelihood of success in adult life, were presented for each state and racial group (where valid data was available) using data gathered between 2010 and 2013. The foundation also sponsors (or produces), and distributes, research reports and white papers on various topics involving child welfare and related programs and public policy issues.

The foundation works with—and makes grants to—governments (particularly states), universities and civic organizations, to improve conditions for children. AECF describes the grantees as the "KIDS COUNT Network" and uses them as outlets for its outreach communications and influence efforts, although it accepts that their individual priorities and goals may vary somewhat from AECF's.

The Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI), a project developed in 1992 by the AECF, demonstrates ways for jurisdictions to safely reduce reliance on secure confinement of children, and strengthen juvenile justice systems through interrelated reform strategies. The JDAI reports that it is now being copied in approximately "200 jurisdictions in 39 states and the District of Columbia". The U. S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has worked directly and extensively with the AECF on these issues, as well. The JDAI Helpdesk used to be an online information tool for juvenile justice advocates, practitioners, policymakers, and other parties seeking to improve juvenile justice systems, sharing the juvenile justice "best practices", research and materials produced by JDAI jurisdictions. Featured materials included strategies and tools documented to safely reduce secure confinements, while improving public safety, avoiding costs and doing "what works for youth" to develop them into "healthy, productive adults". success story is the Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center near Richmond, Virginia. AECF provided technical expertise to assist the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice in significantly reducing juvenile prison populations.

In 2021, the AECF announced an initiative called Thrive by 25, which is meant to increase its focus on improving the lives of youth and young adults. Over 10 years, the organization will dedicate at least 50 percent of its philanthropic investments to ensure that young people between the ages 14 and 24 have the family connections, relationships, communities, and educational and employment opportunities they need to succeed.

A detailed review of AECF financial history and current finances, in a Stanford University case study is available online, partially as a web page, but completely as a downloadable PDF file.