Extended Family’s purpose is “To teach families of prisoners to successfully adjust to a new way of life.” When founder and executive director Laure Clemons created Extended Family in 2003, her initial concept was to offer information and share tips and resources for other adult family members left behind when their loved one was incarcerated. She was soon helping others across the nation and from other parts of the world. Families dealing with incarceration face similar struggles and by helping them, Laure was able to help herself and her children heal.
In 2007, Laure was approached by school staff in Georgia asking her to modify the lessons she was using with adults to be used for children. She responded by creating Extended Family for Kids, a nine-lesson curriculum that has been used to teach hundreds of children aged five to eighteen to make healthy lifestyle choices to improve their lives emotionally, mentally, and physically.
Ten years later, a second program for students was developed called Extended Leadership Academy. This program was initially available to children who had completed Extended Family for Kids and has since been expanded to include at-risk youth who are experiencing any type of family disruption.
For the past several years, Laure and her husband Jerry have conducted Going Home Workshops in prisons for those nearing release. This workshop highlights the common challenges that families face in the first months following reunification.
This year, Extended Family launched Extended Success for Life, a program tailored to the individual needs of returning citizens, those recently released from jail or prison. This twenty-week long series of lessons helps men successfully reintegrate into their families and communities.
Also new for this year is Extended Family for Life, a program developed for incarcerated mothers. This program provides character development lessons for incarcerated moms to use in their personal lives and to share with their children during visits.
Each Extended Family program fits into our “whole family” approach and shares the goals of reducing recidivism, preventing youth from entering the juvenile justice system, and helping to break the cycle of incarceration in families. Our programs are solutions-based and are designed to help families heal as they adjust to a new way of life. We are always grateful to all of those who support our purpose and contribute financially to allow us to continue to reach every family member who needs us.
For more information about Extended Family and our programs, or to make a donation, please visit our website at www.extendedfamilyhelp.org. Together, we are making a difference.
