​The AAP views families as a vital partner in health care. Over the past several years, the Academy has made a deliberate effort to increase family engagement at the national level. 

This is evidenced by the following: 

• A representative from the FamilY Partnerships Network Executive Committee has attended the AAP Board of Directors meeting since January 2015 and the Academy’s Annual Leadership Forum since 2016. 
  

• The AAP Friends of Children Fund has awarded a grant to the FamilY Partnerships Network to add family liaisons to national AAP committees A pilot program entitled, “Committees and Family Engagement” (CAFÉ), will run through January 2018. The 4 committees engaged in this work include the Committee on Hospital Care, the Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine, the Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine, and the Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health. The FPN will provide orientation and support to the new family liaisons, and will evaluate the value that family liaisons bring to committee work.
  

• Two AAP groups, the Council on Quality Improvement and Patient Safety and the Section on Hospice and Palliative Medicine​, have a family affiliate membership category. Family representatives who are interested in these topics can join and work with pediatricians who have expertise in these areas​
  

The FamilY Partnerships Network has developed a number of resources for families to become more familiar with the work of the AAP, and to help national committees identify the right youth/family advisor to partner with.

• Understanding the AAP​: This set of orientation slides provides an overview of the AAP and was developed by families for families.
  
  
• Draft Call for Nominations​: The FPN developed a Call for Nominations that can be used to solicit applications from youth/family advisors for open positions.​