Berkeley Youth Alternatives is a community based organization. Our vision is to provide a secure and nurturing environment for all the children, youth, and families of our community; promoting, to their fullest potential, the freedom to develop individual skills and visions of the world.



Our mission is to help children, youth, and their families address issues and problems via Prevention by reaching youth before their problems become crisis, and via Intervention through the provision of support services to youth who are entangled in the juvenile justice system. BYA helps to build capacity within individuals to reach their innate potential.



Berkeley Youth Alternatives, has served youth and families by providing comprehensive services in a supportive and bias-free haven. During a period of soaring dropout rates, juvenile crime, drug abuse, and family breakdown, Berkeley Youth Alternatives has successfully helped thousands of young people sustain themselves on the difficult journey toward becoming productive and contributing adults.



For over thirty years, BYA has provided a safe growing space for the youth of Berkeley. The agency`s success lies in a dedicated board of directors, staff, and volunteers, and its commitment to fostering youth development. BYA believes in the innate human potential of youth and their families and strives to provide a comprehensive network of services for children - 1st grade to pre-college. BYA fosters the success of youth and families through prevention and intervention services catered to encompass the mental, emotional, physical and social dimensions of development.