The federation's mission is to provide leadership in the field of children's mental health and develop necessary human and financial resources to meet its goals. The federation addresses the unique needs of children and youth with emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders from birth through the transition to adulthood. It works to ensure the rights to full citizenship, support, and access to community-based services for all affected children and their families. The federation also seeks to provide information and engage in advocacy regarding research, prevention, early intervention, family support, education, transition services, and other services. This is done through advocacy at the national level and also self-paced online courses and trainings for parents and professionals alike.