Despite advances in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry only a fraction of children and adolescents who have a mental illness ever receive treatment.  Key barriers to treatment are: 

• The shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists


• The cost of treatment


• Stigma associated with seeking help

AACAP  has launched The Campaign for America's Kids to raise funds for a comprehensive program that aims to help families by:

• Attracting greater numbers of doctors to the child and adolescent psychiatry specialty


• Expanding scientific research of child and adolescent mental health issues and treatment


• Changing our health system through advocacy on the local, state and national levels of government


• Erasing the stigma of mental illnesses


• Educating parents and teachers on how to identify what is normal, what is not and how to get help


• Communicating how treatable mental illnesses are

Your gift supports AACAP programs that will help children and adolescents receive the mental health treatment they need to recover from or manage their conditions and lead happy, healthy, and productive lives.