4-H Afterschool is a special focused effort within the 4-H Youth Development Program that helps 4-H and other youth-serving organizations create and improve after-school programs in urban, suburban, and rural communities across the United States.

The 4-H Youth Development Program is the only national organization that is federally mandated to conduct positive youth development programs. 4-H is located in every state and territory and operates through the Cooperative Extension System, a three way partnership of county and state governments and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program works to improve knowledge and skills of young people (their Heads, Hearts, Hands, and Health) and the quality of life in the communities in which they live.

The CES, administered by over 130 land grant universities and anchored in all 3,150 counties across the country, is a network of academically trained university faculty and staff who provide a broad array of staff training, curriculum, community collaboration building, evaluation, resource development, and other expertise and resources to out-of-school time programs. The 4-H Youth Development Program is part of the CES. Most information and resources are available at no or minimal cost.

The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) is a federal agency dedicated to supporting young people, particularly runaway and homeless youth. FYSB awards funding that enables communities to offer services to young people and their families and to test new approaches to helping youth. In addition, the Bureau has created a network of support that includes a national hotline and referral system for runaway and homeless youth; offers conferences, trainings, and on-site consultations; documents effective practices; and distributes information.

Helping America's Youth is a nationwide effort, initiated by President Bush and led by First Lady Laura Bush, to benefit children and teenagers by encouraging action in three key areas: family, school, and community. The Community Guide to Helping America's Youth, available on this website, helps communities build partnerships, assess their needs and resources, and select from program designs that could be replicated in their community.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Youth Initiative page provides links to IMLS-funded projects that feature service to youth, web resources on youth development, and information on the agency's initiative to highlight the role libraries and museums play in youth development services.

The Board on Children, Youth, and Families convenes experts in the behavioral, social and health sciences to address a variety of policy-relevant issues related to the health and development of children, youth, and families. A variety of research reports are available on their website.

Through the 4-H/Army Youth Development Project (YDP), National 4-H Headquarters and Army Child and Youth Services partner to provide youth programs and introduce 4-H to Army installations worldwide.