American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences

American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) is an American professional association that networks professionals in the area of family and consumer science. It was founded in 1908 as the American Home Economics Association by Ellen H. Richards. In 1994 it changed its name to the current one.

The association started with about 800 members and grew to over 50,000 by the mid-1960s. In the early 20th century, the association did not often mention Black universities in its journal and it also practiced segregation. It encouraged African American home economics leaders to form their own groups. Many already had formed such groups, which included the National Association of Teachers in Colored Schools. By the mid-1990s membership had fallen below 25,000 and by 2001, it was just over 13,000. Membership continued to decline, and by 2008 was just over 7,000, and where by early 2012, the numbers fell to approximately 5,000 members.

The association currently acts as a professional network primarily for professors and teachers of home economics and related courses, but also includes large numbers from government, business and non-profit organizations.

AAFCS is one of the five organizations that form the Consortium of Family Organizations. While not having its own political action committee, it recommends the "Vocational Political Action Committee"; and in 1985, the AAFCS joined the Home Economics Public Policy Council (HEPPC), which does engage in legislative action.

The field originated from home economics to what it is today. Family and Consumer Sciences is an interdisciplinary field that combines social sciences (emphasizing on the well-being of individuals, families, and communities) and natural sciences (emphasizing on nutrition, development, and textile science). Aspects included: nutrition, cooking, parenting and human development, interior design, textiles, economics, housing, apparel merchandising, resource management, ad other related specialties. Provided by Wikipedia