Improving lives of individuals, families, and communities through counseling, education, and support.

Directions for Youth & Families impacts over 8,500 youth and their families each year through mental, emotional and behavioral health services. We are a resiliency-oriented, trauma-informed agency working and training with experts and educators. Through counseling, education and support programs we are proud of the impact we have in contributing to a healthy community – one individual, one family at a time.

How you can get involved

Join us for Inspire Us on March 24, 2026 – a youth-centered engagement opportunity and fundraiser for See Kids Dream, our service-learning program in schools. Meet some of our student leaders representing their service projects and enjoy our “kid’s panel” discussion and interview about what they’ve learned, and, of course, there’s the lasagna dinner. We hope you can make it!

Experience a reimagined State of the Child event on May 6, 2026. Taking place at our Crittenton Community Center, you have an opportunity to experience after-school programming, interact with the kids, and also learn about DFYF’s counseling and education programs. We hope you can join us! 

Become a Program Partner! A meaningful way to engage with and amplify the impact you can make in the Columbus community.

Join DFYF’s Community Engagement Committee! Are you passionate about making a difference? We are seeking creative and enthusiastic individuals to help raise awareness and funds for our mental health services and prevention programs. To learn more, please contact us at jwilliams@dfyf.org.

Please enjoy and share our annual Impact Report. We hope you feel connected as you read what our supporters, partners, staff, and volunteers helped make possible. They are the driving force behind meeting the needs of those we serve. We prepared this report with gratitude, hope, and appreciation. Read it here.

We value your donation supporting outreach clinical counseling and education programs for kids and families in Central Ohio.

Counseling
Services

We provide services addressing a range of issues including school concerns, sexual abuse, delinquency, domestic violence, family conflict, substance abuse and mental health issues. Most services are provided on an outreach basis, in youth’s homes, schools or other community settings. Learn more.

Early
Childhood

Ready, Set, Grow is an in-home kindergarten readiness program working directly with children and parent/guardian to enhance learning and assist parents with child development skills. We provide prenatal and early childhood support through the Early Head Start Partnership Program.

After School &
Summer Programs

Our after-school and summer programs provide homework help, computer labs, leadership development, recreation and creative arts programming. We operate two youth centers, Crittenton Community Center, on the east side in the Kimberly Parkway neighborhood, and Ohio Avenue Youth Center.

  • Central Ohio United Way
  • ADAMH
  • Franklin County DJFS
  • National Crittenton Foundation
  • Council of Accreditation
  • Ohio Mental Health