Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR)

The National Extension Initiative for Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR) is the CSREES and Cooperative Extension System response to pervasive conditions in America which place children and their families at risk for not meeting basic physical and social needs and not building the basic competencies necessary for successful participation in childhood, adolescent, and adult life.

All children and youth experience some degree of risk as they progress from birth to adulthood. An increasing proportion of American children are at substantially higher risk for negative outcomes such as infant mortality, undernourishment, child abuse and neglect, poor health, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, crime, violence, and academic underachievement, due to family, community, social, political, and economic conditions which they have not created. In fact, a recent report by the National Research Council (2002) stated, "at least 25% of adolescents in the United States are at serious risk of not achieving productive adulthood."

These data establish the need for continuing system-wide focus on these vulnerable youth and children and for integrating this work into the ongoing Extension programs as part of the educational outreach mission of the Land Grant University system.

"The CYFAR vision is of American families and communities in which children and youth lead positive, secure, and happy young lives while developing the skills, knowledge, and competencies necessary for fulfilling, contributing adult lives."

Follow this link (click on New Hampshire) for more information on the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension CYFAR programs

Adapted from CYFAR - Sharon K. B. Wright, National Program Leader, USDA/Families, 4-H, and Nutrition and Melina Bersamin, PhD., UC Davis