Inside EFNEP

Since 1969, the federally funded Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) has helped limited-resource families and youth gain the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed for healthy diets, personal development, and improved family nutrition. In Texas, EFNEP is administered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and provides research-based nutrition and health education to support better food choices, strong families, healthy children, positive youth development, and reduced food and healthcare costs.

EFNEP Mission
EFNEP assists limited-resource audiences in developing the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary for nutritionally sound diets and improved personal and family well-being.

Program Objectives
Participation in EFNEP should result in:

• Improved diet quality and physical activity behaviors.
• Increased ability to manage food budgets and related resources.
• Improved food safety and sanitation practices.
• Increased ability to select and purchase nutritious foods.

Program Structure

In Texas, EFNEP serves eleven counties: Bexar, Cameron, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Bend, Harris, Hidalgo, Nueces, Tarrant, Travis, and Willacy. The State EFNEP Office is located in College Station.

EFNEP agents, with training in family and consumer science and nutrition, recruit and train paraprofessionals from the communities served. These educators work with clients in group or one-on-one settings.

Eligibility for Program Participation
EFNEP serves both adult and youth in the counties we deliver programs. Target audiences for EFNEP include:
Families with young children, including parents and other caregivers with primary responsibility for feeding them; youth in kindergarten through 12th grade; and emerging adults with limited financial resources who may become parents in the near future.