Successful families for successful communities...
Texas Cooperative Extension programs in Family and Consumer Sciences strengthen individuals and families, improve health, and increase economic stability.

Families are changing...
Change? That might seem odd, but, when you think about it, you realize that families are changing all the time. Some changes are difficult and maybe overwhelming, like divorce, the aging of a parent, an illness, loss of a job, financial difficulties. Others are expected and even happily anticipated, like the birth of a baby, a new driver's license, a high-school graduation, retirement.

In fact, even the idea of "family" is changing. Today, families can be grandparents bringing up grandchildren, single people, "blended" families including children from previous marriages, just about any person or group of people trying to make their way in the world.

Change for the better...
Successfully coping with change, making good decisions about everyday family activities, like choosing day care, managing credit card debt, or understanding health care options, requires knowledge and understanding.

When families do not succeed, the stresses they experience may lead to school problems for children, family violence, substance abuse, distracted employees, less stable communities, personal bankruptcies, and a variety of other personal and economic ills which affect the community as a whole.

Education and empowerment, combined with a supportive community environment, can provide the tools a family needs to succeed, and to make changes for the better.

Extension is education for change...
The Extension educators at your county office of Texas Cooperative Extension can help the families in your community successfully manage change. They offer education programs, classes, and information on a variety of subjects that are important to family life, including money management, child development, nutrition and health, and stress management.

Extension educators, or county Extension agents, have degrees in family and consumer sciences, and they receive constant in-service training to keep their knowledge and skills current. And they live right in your community; they have the same experiences you do when grocery shopping, taking children to school, banking, and managing a household.

Extension agents also bring the knowledge of the Texas A&M University System to your community. Through their programs, you have access to the latest research and recommendations, and they can help you make sense of all those contradictory reports you see on the news and in magazines. Extension education synthesizes all that research and makes it relevant and meaningful to the people in your community.

Building a successful community...
Participating in an Extension education program can give the people in your community lots of good information, bring them together with friends and neighbors who share their interests, and empower them to make positive changes for themselves and their families. Extension programs also give them an opportunity to share their knowledge with others, as volunteers who - through education - help make the whole community stronger.

What makes a family successful?
Many things come to mind: meeting financial obligations, staying healthy, nurturing all family members, enjoying a nutritious diet. But many people will tell you that a family's success depends on how well its members can handle change.

To find out what your Extension office can offer you and your community, just give us a call. The address and telephone number are: 132 South Water Lane, New Braunfels, Texas 78130; 830-620-3440.

Families are changing, and we're changing families.