Colorado Organizing
for
Children, Youth, and Families at Risk
(CO-CYFAR)

Mission:

PARENTS will take primary responsibility for meeting their children's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs and provide moral guidance and direction; and FAMILIES will promote positive, productive, and contributing lives for all family members.

Vision:

To develop capacity building in children, youth, and families at risk by addressing the multifaceted needs of low income communities using an empowerment model.

Background:

Guided by the vision of healthy, happy environments that enable those at risk to develop life skills necessary for contributing, fulfilling lives, CO-CYFAR-NCP seeks to strengthen the existing Colorado State University Extension (CSUE) system through the provision of staff and program development activities at the statewide and community levels. Two high need areas -- Bent, Crowley, and Otero Counties in the Eastern Region and Fremont County in the South Central Region -- represent challenges in rural communities in a state currently recognized for its economic health. Issues of mobility, immigration, employment, housing, and drugs are common among the communities in these counties that have prison facilities. CO-CYFAR-NCP resources to the communities in each area will support collaboration among and resource development for child and family services providers through the County CSUE offices. Program outcomes will demonstrate gains in

• parents taking primary responsibility for meeting their children's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs and providing moral guidance and direction;
• families promoting positive, productive, and contributing lives for all family members; and
• strengthening of internal and external community assets.