Update on the Proposed State Budget Cuts and the

							  Update on the Proposed State Budget Cuts and the
   Impact on the 4-H Youth Development Program

What is The University of California
4-H Youth Development Program?


The 4-H Youth Development Program:

   •   Offers research based, experiential programs for diverse
       youth, ages 5-19

   •   Serves more than 144,000 youth throughout California in urban, suburban, and rural settings.
       More than half of these youth are in large cities or suburbs; 30% are on farms or in rural areas;
       19% are in smaller towns.

   •   Supports youth in developing citizenship, leadership and life skills

   •   Engages youth in their communities and helps them develop relationships with caring adults.

   •   Delivers programs through a wide range of delivery modes, including after-school, in-school,
       and clubs.

   •   Involves a large volunteer network with more than 26,000 youth and adult volunteers.


The California 4-H Youth Development Program is a program of University of California
Cooperative Extension, and is associated with a national network of Land-Grant Colleges and
Universities.


How do the proposed state cuts to University of California Cooperative Extension
affect the 4-H Youth Development Program?

The 4-H Youth Development Program is part of the University of California Cooperative Extension
system. Unless the legislature acts to reduce the proposed cuts, Cooperative Extension will take a 30%
budget cut next year.

Over 85% of the state dollars for Cooperative Extension fund salaries and benefits of people. In the
4-H Youth Development Program, fewer than 65 UC-paid full-time positions (including 35 Advisor
positions) support more than 144,000 youth and 26,000 volunteers who participate in the program
statewide. 4-H Youth Development staff also generate additional dollars to support youth
development in California.
If the legislature approves these cuts to Cooperative Extension, UC will need to close offices and
facilities, begin layoffs, and eliminate core Cooperative Extension and agricultural research programs.
With office closures and staff layoffs, the 4-H Youth Development Program may be eliminated in
some counties. Because UCCE is congressionally mandated to administer the 4-H Youth
Development Program in California, 4-H cannot operate in counties that have no UCCE/4-H staff
support.

The state invests $197,000 each year in the 4-H Center for Youth Development at UC Davis for
research and evaluation to support the California 4-H Youth Development program. During the last
year, that funding was matched 2 to 1 through grants from federal agencies and foundations
($382,000). Without this small state-supported infrastructure, over a half a million dollars that go
toward understanding what makes a difference in the lives of youth and families will likely be lost for
our state.


Why are youth development programs important?

The latest research on youth development says:

       Students who spend no time in extracurricular activities are 49% more likely to use drugs and
       37% more likely to become teen parents than those who spend one to four hours per week in
       extracurricular activities (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2002).

       Nationally, more than half of teens wish there were more community or neighborhood based
       programs available after school, and two thirds of those surveyed said they would participate in
       such programs if they were available (Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, 2001).

       The best data available indicates that there are approximately 8 million children ages 5-14
       (nationally) that spend time without adult supervision on a regular basis (Miller, 1999).

       Young people with nothing to do during out-of-school hours miss valuable chances for growth
       and development. The odds are high that youth will find things to do and places to go that
       negatively influence their development and futures (McLaughlin, 2000).

       Adolescents who spend time in communities that are rich in developmental opportunities for
       them experience less risk and show evidence of higher rates of positive development (National
       Research Council, 2002).

                                    For more information about the
                             California 4-H Youth Development Program,
                                   visit the website: http://ca4h.org