Extended Family for Kids (EFK) is a 9-lesson, evidence-based curriculum designed to support children impacted by the incarceration of a loved one. Offered in schools and after-school programs for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, EFK equips children with the skills to make positive choices, even when someone close to them has made choices that led to incarceration.
The program promotes physical, mental, and moral development through targeted lessons on stress management, appropriate expression of anger, and building constructive relationships with law enforcement. EFK empowers children to establish a personal identity that is distinct from the negative behaviors of their incarcerated loved one, providing them with the tools to define who they want to become.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates and data from Childstats.gov, the scope of parental incarceration in the United States is significant. In 2016, 1.5 million children, or 1 in 49, had a parent in state or federal prison. At any given time, 2.7 million children, or 1 in 28, have an incarcerated parent. Over the course of childhood, approximately 5 million children, a striking 1 in 15, will experience parental incarceration.
Extended Family for Kids is not limited to children with incarcerated parents. The curriculum supports youth affected by the incarceration of any family member, whether past or present. EFK’s goal is to disrupt the cycle of generational incarceration and reduce the likelihood that children will enter the juvenile justice system.
Each lesson is intentionally designed to foster self-awareness and resilience, helping children form a positive identity and envision a future based on their own values and choices.
Educators, judges, counselors, and community leaders familiar with EFK recognize its profound impact on children’s lives. At Extended Family, our goal is to make this transformative program accessible to every child who needs it. We achieve this by partnering with committed individuals and organizations across the country who share our concern for this often-overlooked population.
If you are interested in bringing Extended Family for Kids to your community, we invite you to learn more at www.extendedfamilyhelp.org. Together, we are changing lives, one child at a time.