Extended Family for Kids (EFK) is a nine-lesson, evidence-based curriculum designed to support children who have an incarcerated family member. EFK is implemented in schools, after-school programs, and juvenile diversion programs for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Through EFK, participants learn to make positive, independent choices despite the challenges associated with having a loved one who is incarcerated. The curriculum promotes physical, mental, and moral development through lessons on stress management, healthy expression of anger, and building constructive relationships with law enforcement.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, the most recent Parents in Prison and Their Minor Children survey (2016) reported that, of the 73.7 million children in the United States that year, approximately 1.5 million, or one in 49, had a parent in state or federal prison. Additionally, data from Childstats.gov show that 2.7 million children have an incarcerated parent at any given time (one in 28), and nearly 5 million children, one in 15, will experience parental incarceration at some point between birth and age 17.
EFK serves not only children with incarcerated parents, but also those who have any family member currently or previously incarcerated. Among its primary goals are breaking the cycle of incarceration and preventing youth from entering the juvenile justice system. Each EFK lesson helps students develop an “identity in contrast” – the ability to separate their own choices and values from those of their incarcerated loved one – and equips them with the tools and confidence to build the future they envision for themselves.
Judges, principals, counselors, teachers, and community service providers familiar with the program recognize the transformative impact of Extended Family for Kids. Our goal is to ensure that every child who needs EFK has access to it. We achieve this by forming partnerships with dedicated individuals and organizations across the nation who care deeply about the well-being of this underserved population.
If you are interested in bringing Extended Family for Kids to your community, we invite you to contact us. To learn more, please visit www.extendedfamilyhelp.org. Together, we are changing lives, one child at a time.