Extension CARES...For
America's Children and Youth
The lack of affordable, accessible, and
high-quality child care, school-age care,
and teen programs has a negative effect on
current and future educational attainment
and employment for parents and children,
the nation's economy and family income, and
physical and emotional environments in which
people live.
NIFA provides resources and program leadership
to the Cooperative Extension System (CES)
that enhances a nationwide response to challenges
facing American children, youth, and families.
CES, through the “Extension ‘CARES'...For
America's Children and Youth National Initiative,” is
focusing new and existing resources in working
toward a vision that all children and youth
are in safe, healthy, caring, and enriching
environments when away from their parents.
Mission
Improve early childhood, school-age, and
teen programs by linking the teaching, research,
education, technology, and 4-H youth development
expertise of USDA with the 105 land-grant
universities and the county and regional
extension offices in local communities across
America.
Overall Goal
Increase the quality, affordability, accessibility,
availability, and sustainability of child
care, school-age care, and teen out-of-school
programs through federal, state, and local
partnerships that tap the expertise and assets
of local communities.
The sub-goals include:
- Improve program staff and home-based
providers' ability to offer high-quality
care, education, and developmental experiences
for children and youth.
- Improve the quality of child care, school-age
care, and teen out-of-school settings.
- Improve families' abilities to better
support their children in out-of-home programs.
- Improve community and state supports
for programs.
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