Families play a critical role in ensuring that children’s development is well-supported and fostered through early childhood, adolescence and into adulthood.
Researchers in one study examined a variety of assets within the family, school, and neighborhood of seventh grade adolescents and found that eating dinner together as a family was one of the most important factors associated with positive adolescent development. In fact, after accounting for the influence of sex, race, and family household income, data showed that eating dinner together was the strongest predictor of positive youth functioning, resulting in higher levels of positive youth development and to lower rates of depression and risk/problem behaviors.
Ensuring children’s healthy growth and development often takes resources, support and information from others. ACYI is here to help, by providing information about child development, opportunities for leadership and providing links to services/programs that help families access the support they need to best meet the needs of their children.