American Academy of Pediatrics Mission and Strategic Plan

The AAP Board of Directors approved four strategic initiatives:

Healthy Mental and Emotional Development 

The AAP Board of Directors approved Healthy Mental and Emotional Development as a strategic initiative in 2022. 

In 2021, the AAP joined the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children’s Hospital Association in declaring a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health, which brought attention to a growing mental health crisis amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The AAP established a Council on Healthy Mental and Emotional Development to lead these efforts. In addition, the AAP created a Pediatric Mental Health Education Center to expand the capacity of pediatricians and care systems to address the mental health needs of our nation’s children and teens, which will offer a multi-modal learning portfolio of knowledge-sharing, skills acquisition and longitudinal learning collaboratives. 

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 

The AAP Board of Directors approved Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as a strategic initiative in 2022. 

Equity, diversity and inclusion has been a longtime focus for the AAP. This work is rooted in the Equity Agenda, which was approved in 2020 and is based on several foundational policy statements including the Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health, Truth, Reconciliation, and Transformation: Continuing on the Path to Equity and Eliminating Race-Based Medicine. 

The AAP is exercising national thought leadership in Race-Conscious Approaches to Clinical Guidance, Policy and Research through two major grant projects from the Doris Duke and Robert Wood Johnson Foundations. 

Safety and Wellbeing within the Pediatric Profession 

The AAP Board of Directors approved Safety and Wellbeing within the Pediatric Profession as a strategic initiative in 2023.  

In 2024, The Task Force on Safety & Wellbeing was named, comprised of members who have experienced adversity in practice, experts in the field of wellbeing and safety and are diverse regarding race, age, geography, practice setting and lived experiences. 

The task force is charged with the following: 

• Identifying key drivers impacting wellbeing and safety of pediatricians.
• Identifying short, medium and long-term opportunities to enhance wellbeing and safety.
• Identifying what unique role(s) the AAP should play in the above opportunities while identifying key partners to address pediatrician needs. 

Members of the task force will consider how recommendations relate to the strategic plan and equity implementation plan. They will also consider how specialty, practice type, geography, race/ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation and ability inform this work. 

Environmental Health and Disaster Readiness 

The AAP Board of Directors added Environmental Health and Disasters Response as a strategic initiative in 2024. 

Children are uniquely susceptible to environmental hazards' health effects, including climate change, extreme weather events, air pollution and other hazards in home, school and childcare environments. The negative impact of environmental hazards and disasters are compounded for children and communities who already experience adverse social drivers of health, including poverty, racism and barriers to quality health care, making environmental health a key equity and justice concern. 

An updated “Climate Change and Children’s Health: Building a Healthy Future for Every Child” policy statement has been published, providing a foundation for Academy education and advocacy efforts. A workplan for this new initiative is under development.