YAP Inc. traces its roots to a 1975 ruling that prohibited young people from being incarcerated with adult inmates at the State Correctional Institution in Camp Hill, PA. Today, YAP Inc. is one of the largest non-profit agencies providing exclusively non-residential, community-based programs.
An Introduction to YAP Inc. by YAP CEO Gary Ivory
We support, care for, organise and empower the most vulnerable and marginalised young people, adults and families in the US and abroad. By tapping into the strengths and capabilities of the 20,000 families we serve each year, our 2,000+ YAP staff members, and the capacity of communities, YAP affects positive change.
YAP Inc. currently has programs in 28 states serving over 20,000 families a year. We provide safe, cost-effective services to youth and families involved in numerous systems, including the Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, Behavioural Health, Developmental Disabilities, Education and Adult
Systems. Our staff, who reside in or near the neighbourhoods they serve, work non-traditional, flexible hours and are accessible 24/7. Our demonstrated ability to recruit and energise indigenous resident leaders within neighbourhoods is another unique element of our success.
External evaluations of YAP Inc. confirm the validity of our approach. Our model has also been cited by several external bodies, including the Annie E. Casey Foundation, as a “promising practice” in providing effective alternatives to institutional care. Our comprehensive internal systems include Outcome Measurement, Monitoring of Service Delivery and Family Satisfaction and Integrity Compliance. YAP Inc. is certified by the Council On Accreditation (COA).
Since our agency opened, YAP Inc. has experienced rapid growth. We have broadened our scope of services and increased our capacity to serve more children, youth, families and adults—including those who have not succeeded with traditional services. We continue to explore new opportunities to demonstrate our unique and effective community-based alternatives to out-of-home placements. We have also developed and supported community-based programs in Ireland, Scotland, Guatemala and Sierra Leone.
YAP Inc.’s Commitment
We value our relationships with youth, families and referring entities and therefore take our work very seriously. YAP Inc. is committed to providing ethical and high quality services, and we continually seek opportunities to improve. As such, we structure ourselves with systems and practices that set forth guidelines that can be monitored, corrected and/or revised as needed.
You can find out more about the great work YAP Inc. do around the world by visiting www.yapinc.org