The Kentucky Association of Family and Consumer Sciences is an affiliate of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. It is an educational and scientific organization dedicated to improving the quality of individual and family life through education, research, cooperative programs, and public information. KAFCS serves as the Commonwealth's voice for the Family and Consumer Sciences profession, integrating knowledge from diverse fields to assist with the solving of everyday problems and families. Our members work toward empowering people to improve their quality of life.

Our History

Our history goes back to 1922 when the Kentucky Home Economics Association, an affiliate of the American Home Economics Association was organized. The name was officially changed to the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences in 1994 to better represent the breadth and scope of the profession and to better communicate this to the public. Kentucky adopted this name at its 1995 annual meeting.

KAFCS members include teachers of Family and Consumer Sciences, Cooperative Extension Agents, dietitians, interior designers, pre-professional students, university professors and administrators, business professionals, apparel merchandisers and members engaged in home and community services.

Maybelle Cornell Taliaferro served as the first state president. The association recognizes outstanding members with awards. Since 1961 we have honored exceptional college and university students with scholarships to study home economics/family and consumer sciences in Kentucky colleges and universities. Several Kentucky members have held offices at the national level. Dr. Martha Nall, a KAFCS past president, recently served as AAFCS Vice President for Development. Several from Kentucky have received national awards. The late Congressman William H. Natcher received the 1994 AHEA Friend of the Family Award following his nomination by the Kentucky affiliate. At the state level, we recognized Kentucky’s Speaker of the House, Jody Richards, for the 2003 Friend of KAFCS Award.

The Kentucky Association strives to meet the needs of its members by providing professional development opportunities. Annual meetings have been held every year with the exception of war time. The Association newsletter has been published continuously since 1925. It informs members about the organization and publicizes accomplishments of our members. The state has been divided into districts during most of its history. In 2000, a merger of three districts resulted in the formation of the Western and Eastern Districts.

Our organization serves in an advocacy role for issues related to the family. In 2000, we participated in the effort to pass legislation related to Early Childhood Education. The programs resulting from this legislation are providing training and services for children throughout Kentucky.

By working together, our members gain new information and apply the findings of research to our various roles. We take advantage of opportunities to network with our colleagues throughout the state and nation.

History Addendum 1992-2007 (PDF format)
Scholarship Recipients, 1961-2007 (PDF format)
Past State Presidents (PDF format) Coming Soon