A STUDY OF THE FAMILY SERVICE PROGRAM OF THE CLINTON COUNTY, NEW YORK, DIVISION OF HOME ECONOMICS WAS MADE IN 1966 TO DETERMINE THE SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDY GROUP PARTICIPANTS AND OF FAMILY SERVICE AIDES SERVING AS THEIR TEACHERS, AND TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTION ON THE PARTICIPANTS. DATA WERE OBTAINED LARGELY FROM INTERVIEWS WITH AIDES AND PARTICIPANTS AND FROM PRETESTING AND POSTTESTING OF KNOWLEDGE, REPORTS BY AIDS, AND THE FILES OF THE HOME ECONOMICS DIVISION AND THE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY. THE AIDES AS A GROUP RANKED ABOVE THE PARTICIPANTS IN TERMS OF FORMAL EDUCATION, HUSBAND'S OCCUPATION, NET FAMILY INCOME, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PARTICIPATION, BUT BELOW THE COUNTY AVERAGE IN TERMS OF INCOME. COMPARED TO THE OVERALL COUNTY POPULATION, THE STUDY GROUP PARTICIPANTS RANKED LOWER ON EDUCATION, HUSBAND'S OCCUPATION, AND NET FAMILY INCOME. AMONG THE MAJOR IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ON THE PROGRAM ARE THAT LOCAL WOMEN CAN BE RECRUITED AND EFFECTIVELY TRAINED AS AIDES IN HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION, MEMBERS OF THE STUDY GROUPS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND WILL USE IT, AND EXISTING MEANS OF STUDENT RECRUITMENT ARE REACHING THEIR INTENDED AUDIENCE. (APPENDIXES INCLUDE TESTS, INTERVIEW SCHEDULES, AND LESSON REPORT FORMS. THERE ARE 20 TABLES.) (LY)