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Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program

What is EFNEP?

photo of a baby EFNEP is the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Maryland at College Park and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Its mission is to help limited-income families and youth acquire knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavior changes necessary to maintain nutritionally sound diets and enhance personal development. For more information about EFNEP contact Mira Mehta.

In the past 35 years, EFNEP has benefited more than 70,000 families plus an additional 246,000 youth in Maryland. In 2004-2005 alone, EFNEP Nutrition Assistants reached 2,400 families with 8,239 members in addition to 9,226 youth. EFNEP Adults are taught in small groups or individually by Nutrition Assistants trained by Extension Educators. The majority of participants complete the EFNEP curriculum in less than 12 months.

EFNEP Youth are taught in summer or year-round enrichment programs conducted by 4-H staff and volunteers. Since 1994, EFNEP has reached more than 100,000 youth ages 5-15 with their nutrition, wellness and food safety education messages.

What Does EFNEP Do?

EFNEP teaches participants to:

  • Make nutritious food choices;
  • Manage food budgets and resources wisely;
  • Improve prenatal nutrition and infant feeding practices;
  • Adopt breastfeeding;
  • Improve overall health and fitness through diet and exercise;
  • Practice proper food safety, sanitation, and storage methods;
  • Reduce risks of chronic diseases and their complications, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes through dietary changes and early diagnosis;
  • Achieve lasting improvements in nutrition and food safety related behaviors.

EFNEP Participant Profiles in Maryland in 2004-2005

  • 39% have children under six years old
  • 28% have incomes less than half the poverty level
  • 47% receive food stamps
  • 51% receive WIC benefits
  • 7% receive TANF assistance
  • 42% are black
  • 42% are Caucasian
  • 15% are Hispanic
  • 1% are Asian
  • 0% are American Indian/Alaskan

EFNEP Cooperates With:

  • WIC offices
  • Food Stamp offices
  • Head Start
  • GED Programs
  • Health and recreation centers
  • Public housing
  • Family support groups
  • School parent groups
  • Schools for teenage mothers
  • Centers for recovering addicts
  • Transitional housing groups
  • Churches
  • Salvation Army
  • American Cancer Society
  • Other community and state agencies

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For more information, contact Terri Kieckhefer

Last updated: 03/23/2006