Raleigh, N.C. — The country’s economic downturn has left many families scrambling to deal with personal and financial crisis.

That's why the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service has developed a Web site, “Take Control,” that offers fact sheets with a number of suggestions on how to cope with economic hardship.

The extension's family and consumer sciences specialists in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University developed the sheets.

Topics include tips on saving money, talking to children about the economy, shopping on a tight budget and avoiding home foreclosure.

"We wanted to design something our extension agents could use and our families could use," said Karen Debord, an N.C. State professor and state extension specialist.

Debord hopes it will prompt people to take advantage of the cooperative extension service in their counties when they need help. The service provides unbiased, research-based information on a variety of topics to North Carolina citizens.

"It's not just getting a soil sample or identifying a bug or a plant," Debord said. "But for families, we can help them understand how to manage their energy efficiently, help parents understand skills they need to build their confidence as parents and train child-care providers."