Children, Youth, and Families
at Risk Philosophy
Sharon K.B. Wright, National Program Leader,
CSREES, Families, 4-H, and Nutrition
A significant proportion of American children
are at substantial risk for negative outcomes:
infant mortality, undernourishment, abuse,
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. Poverty exacerbates
most other risk factors, and it is the central
reason that many children and families do
not thrive. The focus of the CYFAR program
is children and youth who face the risk of
not acquiring the basic skills they need
to become responsible family members, participants
in the work force or contributing citizens.
The CYFAR mission is to marshal resources
of the Land-Grant and Cooperative Extension
Systems so that, in collaboration with other
organizations, they can develop and deliver
educational programs that equip youth who
are at risk for not meeting basic human needs
with the skills they need to lead positive,
productive, contributing lives. The CYFAR
Program is based on research on effective
programs for at-risk youth and families and
on the human ecological principle of working
across the lifespan in the context of the
family and community. CYFAR supports comprehensive,
intensive, community-based programs developed
with active citizen participation. CYFAR
promotes positive youth and family development
by supporting healthy environments and providing
opportunities for learning and leadership
by youth and adults in their communities.
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