CARE (Credit Abuse Resistance Education)
Student Outreach Program Synopsis

An Overview

The CARE outreach program began as a project of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York and has expanded nationwide. Its purpose is to provide high school and college educators easy access to local volunteer professionals who go into schools and colleges with a financial literacy program that teaches teens and young adults about the:

• Importance of using consumer credit wisely and avoiding credit card debt
• Consequences and financial problems that result if they don’t

The CARE program has three components - a presentation, handouts and a web site.

The CARE presentation and handouts provide students insight to tools, tactics, techniques and resources that will help them stay financially sound and avoid the temptations of overspending and credit abuse. The presentations can be delivered during a student assembly or classroom period and are given by volunteers from the bankruptcy community, all of who work with people who have severe financial problems.

The Care web site - www.careprogram.us – gives students easy access to information that complements the presentation and will help them improve their financial IQ. The web site is updated frequently and includes financial literacy articles written for NextStep Magazine and links to other web sites.

During a CARE presentation, students will learn about:

• The true costs of using credit cards
• How difficult it is to repay credit card debt incurred to ‘buy stuff” and “do things”
• The consequences of financial problems, which are becoming more numerous and more serious
• The difference between “maintaining” debt (making minimum monthly payments) and “affording” debt (paying off balances each month)
• The benefits of living credit card debt free
• The importance of budgeting, distinguishing between “wants” and “needs” and accumulating savings for life’s inevitable emergencies

Please contact a local Program Coordinator with your questions and to schedule a presentation

C.A.R.E Program Coordinators

C.A.R.E Program Presentations