If you are interested in children's health concerns or psychological issues facing families, then check out the youth, adult, and family services major. Students in this major are concerned about today's families and want to help families find solutions to challenging circumstances.

YAFS students are trained for a variety of careers in community-based programs, home-based program, health-related agencies, and mental health agencies. The YAFS option is designed to provide students with basic knowledge in child development and family studies, skills for working with people in service agencies, and introductory research skills.

With the help of their academic advisors, students select courses to meet the requirements of the major and their individual interests and needs. Students are prepared to serve their communities and to be familiar with the knowledge represented in the department.

• Plan of Study
• Career Options
• Family Life Education Certification
• Child Health
• Capstone Experience
• Coursework
• Experiential Learning

Career Options

As a Youth, Adult and Family Services graduate, you could work with children, adolescents, families, single mothers, victims of abuse, adults, the elderly, or multigenerational families. You could be a direct provider of those services or you could develop educational materials for others to use. Some alternatives are outlined below:

Serving people directly:

• Case manager
• Agency worker
• Parent educator
• Recreation leader
• Group home staff

Organizing services:

• Parent-aid coordinator
• Family services program coordinator
• Service coordinator
• In-take coordinator

A career assessment and professional development course is offered in the senior year to help students examine career opportunities. Possible careers upon completion of a degree in Youth, Adult and Family Services include:

• Family case manager
• Juvenile probation office
• Intake Coordinator
• Child life specialist
• Child abuse specialist
• Independent living coordinator
• Social services director
• Foster care specialist
• Family support worker
• Drug prevention specialist

Some graduates also pursue graduate degrees in areas such as:

• Social work
• Marriage and family therapy
• Family studies
• Child development
• Educational counseling

Family Life Education Certification

Family Life Education is a complex and multi-faceted field which addresses all aspects of family life. Family life education can take place in schools at all levels, in churches, in community agencies, through mass media, in home visitor programs, or in homes with families educating themselves. It can be directed toward children, young people, couples, mothers, fathers, grandparents, or families as a whole. In 1968, the National Council on Family Relations defined family life education as follows: "Family life education has as its primary purpose to help individuals and families learn about human growth, development, and behavior in the family setting and throughout the life cycle. Learning experiences are aimed at developing the potential of individuals in their present and future roles as family members. The core concept is relationships, through which personality develops, about which individuals make decisions to which they are committed, and in which they develop self esteem."

The organization that developed that statement, the National Council on Family Relations, has established a certification for family life educators who have met defined qualifications. It is not a certification to teach, but it is a credential indicating expertise in the field of family life education. For those responsible for hiring and evaluating personnel, it is assurance that family science knowledge and skills of family life education are possessed by teachers in school settings, community services and educational agencies, health care settings, criminal justice system settings, employee assistance settings, and religious settings.

Students who complete a bachelor's degree in the Department of Child Development and Family Studies with an emphasis in Youth, Adult and Family Services automatically will have completed most of the requirements for provisional certification in family life education. They need to make sure that they take electives as indicated in the YAFS curriculum After two years of work experience in a family life education setting they would be eligible to be fully certified.

Family Life Education is a broad area that can include many types of jobs. Preparation in that area along with certification should allow a graduate many choices of positions and settings in a field which is growing in support and expanding in opportunities. More information is available from NCFR3989@ncfr.org.

Child Health

Students interested in Child Health may opt to prepare for internships in community based programs, such as Healthy Families, Make-A-Wish Foundation, etc. Students interested in a career as a Child Life Specialist in a hospital program must complete a Child Life Internship in a hospital Child Life program. More information on a career in Child Life is available from www.childlife.org.

Capstone Experience

The Capstone Experience is built into the YAFS curriculum to provide students with an opportunity to complete a full semester internship gain experience in participating in research projects, complete a minor in a related area, or take a cluster of approved courses according to individual interests. Students will meet with their academic advisor to decide the Capstone Experience that best enhances his/her interests and career goals.

A. Field Experience in Child Development and Family Studies (12 cr.)

• Caseworker in a variety of agencies
• Agencies with Focus on family violence
• Residential treatment centers
• Juvenile probation casework
• Youth services and intervention in a variety of agencies
• Educational programs
• Advocacy, administrative, and other positions
• Programs working with the elderly
• Hospital-based child life specialist internships
• Health-related internships

B. Research Coursework and Experience (12-15 credits, Independent study)

• Can be earned for a maximum 6 credits

C. Minor (generally 15 credits, although foreign language may be more)

• Students frequently choose to minor in Psychology, Sociology, Organizational Leadership and Supervision, or Foreign Language. See a list of minors.

D. Other approved Course Sequences (12-15 credits)

• Students may elect other related courses with the approval of their academic advisor to complete their Capstone Experience.

Coursework

YAFS majors take the following types of CDFS courses. (Not a complete list of all required or available courses.)

• Introduction to Family Processes
• Introduction to Human Development
• Families in a Multicultural Society
• Guidance in Early Childhood
• Child Development
• Adult Development
• Introduction to Research in CDFS
• Developmental Assessment
• Health and Health Care for Children and Families
• Children and Stress
• Sexuality and Family Life
• Skills for Helping Professionals
• The Family Life Cycle
• Aging and the Family
• Working with Parents
• Family Life Education
• Family Assessment and Intervention
• Individual and Group Intervention
• See myPurdue for a complete list of CDFS courses and descriptions

Experiential Learning

YAFS majors take a series of practicum courses that promote the development of professional helping skills for working with infants, children, youth, adults, and families. In their senior year, YAFS students may complete a full-time internship for one semester to gain direct, supervised professional experiences in an agency setting. The internship gives valuable professional experience with clients as well as an opportunity to learn first-hand how community agencies work. A wide range of established internship sites is available in Indiana, throughout the United States, and abroad. Internship placement is coordinated by the department and is tailored to each student's professional interests and needs.