our mission.

protecting children. preserving families. since 1915.

We protect children from abuse, neglect and family separation and help children overcome these things when they do happen. Abuse and neglect are significant problems in the communities we serve, and without help, the long-term impact on children can prevent them from living healthy, productive lives. Some of our programs keep children and families together, and others provide a healing home for children who can't live with their families. We have 95 years of experience working with children, and we know that the best way to accomplish our mission is to work with families, whenever possible, to strengthen their ability to care for their children. We are a non-denominational organization and in 2009 we served more than 3,000 children in nine counties.

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mission statement.

Through strength-based partnership ACH brings resources and skills to children and families struggling with life's challenges. Together we develop solutions that create safety, hope, love and the capacity to thrive.

vision statement.

Through leadership, research and training, ACH will set a recognized example for replicable programs in child welfare that dramatically strengthen families and reduce child abuse. Our vision is to be the foremost service provider in the communities we serve so families thrive and children experience safety, hope and love.

ACH is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children, youth and families in our community overcome life's challenges.

ACH utilizes a solution-focused, competency-based care approach to working with our clients. All ACH services are child-centered and family-focused to best address the needs of children while closely involving families. We partner with our clients to provide the right services, and right level of assistance that will help our clients overcome life's challenges and achieve their own goals.

ACH operates its programs and services from a variety of locations in the nine counties we serve. Our central mailing address and administrative location is our Summit Campus.

values statement.

childhood.
We believe all children deserve a childhood which provides safety, love, nurturing, fun, and opportunities to learn skills needed to reach their maximum potential.

families.
We understand that a child’s needs are best met in a family environment. We believe that all families have strengths and that focusing on these strengths can create new possibilities for change. We strive to partner with families and support efforts providing environments for children to thrive. We work to secure a family setting when one is unavailable to children.

effective services.
We will provide services which are built upon clearly defined intervention models, research and best practices. Characteristics of effective services include well trained staff, comprehensive program descriptions, effective supervision, culturally sensitive approaches, and measurable outcomes which indicate program success. Effective programs respond to an identified need and impact it positively.

stewardship.
We will use our financial and human resources to address the needs of those we serve using cost effective and transparent practices. We will utilize and develop resources to address the needs of both current and future consumers and look for creative ways to leverage our resources with those of other organizations.

spirituality.
We build upon our Christian foundation in our belief that unconditional love and hope are essential for healing. We strive to convey love and hope to all our clients and to our staff. We recognize and respect the individualized spiritual backgrounds of those we serve and support family efforts to continue in their faith traditions.

advocacy.
In addition to helping the children and families directly participating in our programs, ACH will strive to leverage our skills and knowledge to shape public policy, opinion, and response to children and families in need. We will work collaboratively with other entities with similar goals to maximize resources for overcoming abuse, neglect and family separation.

learning.
We strive to learn from our work through thoughtful analysis of our results and methods. We will utilize innovative approaches and maintain awareness of work being done in other communities. We aim to develop knowledge that is helpful to children and families and to share this knowledge with others.