Child Trends, Inc.

Child Trends, Inc. is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to studying children, youth, and families through research, data collection, and data analyses. Child Trends was established in 1979 and currently has a staff of 39 researchers, analysts, and administrative and support personnel. Child Trends conducts basic research and evaluation studies in several critical areas, including:

• teenage pregnancy and childbearing;
  
• the effects of welfare and poverty on children;
  
• issues related to parenting, family structure, and family processes, including fatherhood and male fertility.

Child Trends gathers data on the major indicators of children's health and well-being, analyzes trends in these data over time, and works to develop new or improved indicators of child and family well-being. Child Trends develops and tests new conceptual and methodological approaches for studying emerging areas of research and seeks to improve upon, expand, or refine existing measurement instruments.

CYFAR - Children, Youth, and Families At Risk Initiative

Since 1991, through an annual Congressional Appropriation for the National Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Initiative, CSREES has allocated funding for community-based projects for at-risk children and their families. The CYFAR Initiative has supported 163 community-based projects in 49 states and 3 territories. These programs serve approximately 99,000 youth and 17,000 parents. Over 20,000 youth and adult volunteers in these communities contribute time to these programs.

Areas on the site include information on the Evaluation Collaboration where teams of Extension professionals and university evaluation researchers with CSREES staff to assess program/organizational impact. Evaluators develop outcome indicators, assessment instruments and provide assistance to communities conducting the evaluation and analyzing data.

CYFERNet

CYFERNet was created in 1992 by professionals working for the Cooperative Extension System (USDA), National Agricultural Library (USDA), and the Children, Youth and Family Consortium (University of Minnesota). CYFERNet is the electronic Internet-based children, youth and family, information service operated by the Cooperative Extension System (CES). CYFERNet provides quick access to up-to-date resources and research-based information made available by universities in all fifty states which are collaborating partners in the CES Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Network project. Information on the site includes:

• descriptions of successful programs
  
• practical information on child and youth development
  
• evaluation tools

CYFERNet highlights the content areas associated with the Cooperative Extension System Children Youth and Family networks and the Children Youth and Families at Risk community-based programs located across the United States:
child care, collaboration, family resiliency, science and technology, health, and community-based programs

The CYFERNet team works to maintain, support the development of, and enhance the use of the Internet-based information and communication systems within the Cooperative Extension System's Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Initiative.

Indiana Youth Institute

The Indiana Youth Institute promotes attentiveness to Indiana's young people and those who work on their behalf; encourages policies and programs that foster the healthy development of youth; collaborates with state and national rganizations to improve the lives of our state's young people and ensures that their voices are heard. Areas of interest on the site include the IYI Resource Center. The Resource Center is a non-circulating library, housing 5,000-volume books and materials related to children, youth and community development. Links include:

• Bibliographies of Library Collection
  
• Links to Other Youth-related Sites
  
• Resource Guide on Youth as Leaders and Partners
  
• Resource Guide on Making Data Work for You

National Youth Development Information Center (NYDIC)

NYDIC's extensive, well-organized, searchable site includes information on youth development program evaluation, youth development research and relevant statistics, projects and models, policy issues, youth development training and career resources, and funding opportunities. Also contains a section of links to other youth development websites.

Public/Private Ventures

Public/Private Ventures' business is to reduce barriers to successful youth development so that more young people can move through school and into responsible adulthood. P/PV's staff of experienced researchers, program developers and managers--with financial support from national and local foundations, corporations, and local, state and federal government agencies --collaborate with schools and other local public institutions, employment and training organizations, national voluntary agencies, community-based organizations and private employers.

Search Institute

An independent, nonprofit organization that's committed to translating quality research on children and youth into practical ideas, tools, services, and resources to help you make a positive difference for kids in your family, neighborhood, organization, or community. We think blending research and practice is the best way to find out what kids really need, learn how to best meet those needs, and get that information into the hands of the people who can make a difference.

Youth Development Institute

The Youth Development Institute (YDI) of the Fund for the City of New York was established to improve the organization and quality of supports and to increase resources for developmental opportunities for youth in New York City. YDI originated in a recognition of the critical need for innovative strategies to address the increasing severity, intensity, and pervasiveness of problems facing youth in New York City, and strong evidence that the current system of services and supports for youth is deeply flawed by a reactive, problem focused orientation. YDI offers an alternative conceptual framework for developing effective strategies to achieve positive outcomes for youth. This youth development framework defines meeting the human and developmental needs of adolescents and building a set of core assets and competencies needed to participate successfully in adolescent and adult life as the central elements of effective strategy development. YDI works with government, community based organizations, and schools to adapt and apply this youth development framework to the design and implementation of programs, services, and community wide strategies.

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