Extension
It Starts With Us
Author: Ashley Board
Major Program: Family Development General
According to the Early Childhood Profile, approximately 40% of children in the Caldwell, Crittenden, and Lyon counties are not ready for kindergarten. The majority of children ages 0-5 in this area are not enrolled in childcare, therefore families need access to other educational programs to build kindergarten readiness skills. The Caldwell, Crittenden, and Lyon Community Early Childhood Council was created to address this issue. The Caldwell County and Crittenden County Family &
Author: Chandra DeRamus
Major Program: Family Development General
Chandra DeRamusSuccess Story September 30, 2022 “Parenting Program in Hardin County Makes Positive Impacts in the Lives of Families” Kentucky has experienced an unprecedented amount of challenges within its communities over the last year after the impact of covid-19. Along with the challenges that developed from the covid-19 pandemic and monkey pox, families across the different communities have had to face a lot more challenging times with an economy that has b
Author: Rebecca Miller
Major Program: Family Development General
Death is unavoidable, yet we keep it at arm’s length. We know it is going to happen, but we don’t want to let it in. The purpose of the Living with Loss series is to help people feel more comfortable talking about and exploring issues related to death. This lesson highlights self-care and managing grief. Talking about self-care and how to manage grief is important because it helps people learn how to adjust and keep on living after a loved one has died. When grief
Author: Elizabeth Evans
Major Program: Family Development General
Roughly 36% of Kentucky’s population is over the age of 50 and the state has one of the highest percentages of people aged 30 and over raising grandchildren. According to the Kids Count database, in 2021 there were 58,000 or 6% of children in the state of Kentucky being raised by their grandparents compared to 4% overall for the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 104,954 grandparents living with their own grandchildren under 18 years of age. The percentage of gra
Author: Alivia Faris
Major Program: Family Development General
Scott County Extension Office Partners with State and National Organizations: PCAK and AARPRoughly 36% of Kentucky’s population is over the age of 50. Kentucky has one of the highest percentages of people aged 30 and over raising grandchildren. According to the Kentucky School Board Association, we must work to support and understand this new family demographic. With this in mind, the Scott County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences applied for a grant with the help of th
Author: Cabrina Buckman
Major Program: Family Development General
Summer learning loss refers to the decrease in learning that many school-aged children experience while school is not in session. The Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension Specialist for Parenting and Child Development, Dr. David Weisenhorn wrote an article that describes some ways to reduce the learning lost over the summer break. These strategies include reading each day, practicing math, writing, and being physically active. To bring these tips to local parents, the W
Author: Shannon Smith
Major Program: Family Development General
The Bracken County Cooperative Extension Office Family and Consumer Science Agent partnered with the Bracken County Family Youth Resource Service to host the first Story Trail in Bracken County. The FCS Agent and FRYSC Coordinator visited businesses in the Brooksville city to see how many would participate. We had 20 businesses participate. The starting point was the Post Office where Wally stood with the maps and a cover of the book. Participants that visited the storybo
Author: Kenna Knight
Major Program: Family Development General
Over the past several years Kentucky has reported that only 52% of children attending kindergarten. With programs we are offering we have seen a rise in our readiness. (34% in Pendleton County four years ago to 41.1% currently) In many Kentucky counties, limited resources or the environment may serve as barriers for healthy lifestyle choices related to early childhood development and physical activity. As an innovative strategy to improve early childhood development skills and increase kindergar
Author: Kerri Ashurst
Major Program: Family Development General
Camp Kesem is a nationwide community, driven by passionate college student leaders, that supports children through and beyond their parent’s cancer. They are the largest national organization dedicated to this unique population with over 100 college chapters in the country. Dr. Kerri Ashurst has served as the UK Chapter Student Advisor for Camp Kesem since its formation in 2016. Camp Kesem KY had their first camp in July 2017 with 19 children attending and their second camp in June 20
Author: Nan Montgomery
Major Program: Family Development General
According to the Kentucky State Data Center for Vital Statistics, only 62% of pregnant women within Ohio County received adequate prenatal care during their first trimester of pregnancy. The March of Dimes 2022 Preterm Report Card also showed Kentucky received an “F.”Celebrate the Baby is a free, educational community event hosted by the Ohio County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent and community partners. This year, 28 attendees visited various community agency tables to lear
Author: Ashley Board
Major Program: Family Development General
The CDC recommends that preschool age children should be physically active throughout the day for growth and development. Children and adolescents age 6-17 should participate in 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity each day. Research shows that among U.S. children ages 2- 4, nearly 14% were overweight and 13.5% were obese. Less than ¼ of children age 6-17 participate in 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Young children need help
Author: Tiffany Bolinger
Major Program: Family Development General
Early and regular prenatal and infant care is vital for healthy mothers and babies. According to the 2019 American Community Survey, conducted by the US Census Bureau, 16.9% of people are living in poverty in Christian County. For these individuals, the lack of income often results in inadequate access to health care and resources. In response to the above issues, Christian County held the World’s Greatest Baby Shower on September 1, 2022, at the Hopkinsville Community College.
Author: Shannon Smith
Major Program: Family Development General
The Bracken County Family and Consumer Science Agent met with the FRYSC and the Bracken County School Counselors to partner together to host, “The Dinner Table Program”. A program for families to eat together, have fun, and grow closer through conversation. This program had been done in the fall of 2021 and had just 3 families attend. That program was held when COVID still had some restrictions. Things are more open now and people are getting back to doing things we
Author: Christy Stearns
Major Program: Family Development General
For the past three years, the Clinton County Extension Office has facilitated Operation Hometown Christmas to encourage communication and collaboration among individuals, groups, businesses, churches, and families during the holiday season. To ensure the needs of more families are met, Operation Hometown Christmas utilizes one standard application for assistance, one master list for sponsors, and works to create a seamless system of service for families in need. Since its inception, 24 comm
Author: M. Elizabeth Coots
Major Program: Family Development General
Roughly 36% of Kentucky’s population is over the age of 50 and the state has one of the highest percentages of people aged 30 and over raising a grandchild or other child of a relative. The Woodford County FCS Agent received a grant from Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky (PCAK) and the state office of AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) to help grandparents and grandchildren, while simultaneously beautifying the community. Woodford County was one of 
Author: Nan Montgomery
Major Program: Family Development General
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 60% of children do not consume enough fruit in their diet, and 93% do not eat enough vegetables. To get more families involved in buying fresh local produce and educate youth about eating healthy, the Ohio County Extension Agents parented with Beaver Dam Community Famers Market, Ohio County Health Care and The City of Beaver Dam to host Kids Day at the farmers market. Kids Day at the Farmers was a huge success. Each child went on
Author: Natalie Green
Major Program: Family Development General
Prenatal and newborn health is an important topic for Webster County residents. There are many soon to be parents and new parents who seek out resources on topics such as feeding, changing, car seat safety, and overall health of their children. In response to the above issues, Webster County Cooperative Extension, alongside FRYSC and Early Childhood Council, held the World’s Greatest Baby shower. The baby shower was a free educational, informative and interactive program for expectant
Author: Megan Treadway
Major Program: Family Development General
According to the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood, only 44.1% of Kentucky children and 43.5% of Logan County children were ready to enter kindergarten in 2022. The Kentucky State University Area Agent for Family and Consumer Science and the Logan County Cooperative Extension Service, in partnership with the Allen, Logan, and Simpson County Early Childhood Council, seek to improve kindergarten readiness in Logan County by engaging and educating families with children ages three to five.
Author: Shannon Smith
Major Program: Family Development General
The Bracken County Family and Consumer Science Agent along with the 4-H Agent offered a 4 part babysitting class for students. We partnered with our local Family Youth Resource Service Center with this program. The classes were offered to 5th grade and up. The students would ride the bus to the Extension Office after school. The four different sessions consisted of: The business of Babysitting, basic care of infants and children, the different ages and stages of ch
Author: Vicki Wynn
Major Program: Family Development General
According to Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky, 96,000 Kentucky kids live in kinship care. Kinship care may be informal or may involve the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS). In many cases, grandparents and even great-grandparents have stepped up to help raise children when they cannot remain safely with their parents.The Marshall County Family & Consumer Sciences agent, Family Resource Youth Services Center directors and the Marshall County Resiliency Center are working tog
Author: Karen Denniston
Major Program: Family Development General
The Wally Cat Walking Story is a creative and engaging way to promote literacy, physical activity, and community involvement among children and families in Paris, KY. The Cooperative Extension office partnered with 11 local businesses to display one page of the story in each of their windows, creating a walking route for children to follow and read along. The story features Wally Cat, explores the town and learns about various topics including gardening, farm animals, and the Nutcraker. Each boo
Author: Lora Davidson
Major Program: Family Development General
The body’s physical and mental decline associated with aging varies from person to person, but common issues can be a decline in memory, difficulty learning new things and trouble focusing from one task to another. Research shows that people who stay intellectually engaged are more likely to maintain their mental acuity. Quilting has been done for years to provide warm blankets for families, but in the last few decades retirees have turned to quilting to help fill the time gap
Author: Kerri Ashurst
Major Program: Family Development General
Camp Kesem is a nationwide community, driven by passionate college student leaders working with children and families who are coping with the aftermath of a cancer diagnosis of a parent. They are the largest national organization dedicated to this unique population with over 100 college chapters in the country. There are 5 million children coping with a parent's cancer diagnosis. Kesem supports these children through and beyond their parent's cancer with free and creative prog
Author: Sarah Drysdale
Major Program: Family Development General
The Four River Counties Regional Collaborative has been providing programs for Early Childhood Development for over 20 years in Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, and Hickman counties. The Best Start Family Event was created to help reach and educate families that are planning, expecting, or have children under the age of two-years-old. In 2022 there was a Zoom session focusing on parenting, nutrition, and the importance of being kindergarten ready. This year was the first time it was conducted as an in
Author: Peggy Jones
Major Program: Family Development General
Teaching manners and etiquette at an early age is crucial in order for youth to have a successful future, according to the National Education Association. Many children do not have the opportunity at home to learn this skill, which leaves educators and other organizations with the responsibility to teach this important component. When discussing the needs of students in the local school system, the 4-H Manners Program is requested on a regular basis more and more each year. Four eleme
Author: Tiffany Bolinger
Major Program: Family Development General
University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) programs are designed to reach audiences across the lifespan. Many individuals in the 20-50 age desire to learn about the topics FCS provides but do not attend traditional programming for a variety of reasons: they are too busy, too embarrassed, too intimidated, etc. To bridge the gap for these individuals, we must pivot and offer res
Author: Anna Morgan
Major Program: Family Development General
The Four River Counties Regional Collaborative has been providing programs for Early Childhood Development for over 20 years. The Best Start Family Event was created to help reach and educate families that are planning, expecting, or have children under the age of two-years-old. In 2022 there was a Zoom session focusing on parenting, nutrition, and the importance of being kindergarten ready. This year was the first time it was conducted as an in-person event with a zoom option. Topics this year
Author: Ashley Board
Major Program: Family Development General
University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) programs are designed to reach audiences across the lifespan. Many individuals in the 20-50 age desire to learn about the topics FCS provides but do not attend traditional programming for a variety of reasons: they are too busy, too embarrassed, too intimidated, etc. To bridge the gap for these individuals, we must pivot and offer res
Author: Megan Treadway
Major Program: Family Development General
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the early years of a child’s life are very important for later health and development, and parents and caregivers need support and the right resources to aid in that development. In April and May the Area Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences participated in events for new and expecting parents in Metcalfe, Logan, and Simpson Counties. Families received resources to track developmental milestones and tips on reaching out for ass
Author: Annette Buckman
Major Program: Family Development General
The importance of prenatal and newborn health care is a topic that has been identified as important to the residents of Union County. A group of community partners: Union County Extension, Union County Early Childhood Council, Union County FRYSC, and Deaconess Henderson Hospital, have come together to discuss issues and develop a program for new and soon to be moms.In response to the above issues, Union County held its 18th annual World's Greatest Baby Shower on June 8th at the Union C
Author: Chandra DeRamus
Major Program: Family Development General
In Kentucky, a lot of families are faced with challenges by the increase in housing cost and food costs. Within Hardin County there about 46,708 occupied housing units in Hardin County, 61.67% are owner-occupied, while 38.33% have renters living in them. There are a total of 46,708 households in Hardin County, each made up of around 3 members. Family establishments represent 67.67% of these Hardin County households, while non-family units account for the remaining 32.33%. The median household in
Author: Kerri Ashurst
Major Program: Family Development General
Dr. Ashurst has been a Federal Coach for USDA's Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Professional Development and Technical Assistance (PDTA) Center since January 2019. This is a multi-state subcontract with the University of Minnesota and Pennsylvania State University as the national leads. During the reporting period, she was assigned to oversee grants in New York, Vermont, Rhode Island, Ohio, Oklahoma, Maryland, and North Carolina. She was also assigned in May 2023 to new awards i
Author: Kerri Ashurst
Major Program: Family Development General
During the reporting period, Dr. Ashurst directly received 3 grants/contracts totaling $376,683. One grant for $140,000 (year 4 amount; 5 year grant) was for a Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) grant to provide life skills programming for at-risk youth. Grant sites are in Fayette and Hardin Counties. A second grant for $185,651 was received for the Military Teen Adventure Camp program to hold camps for service members and their teenage children to attend together to reconn
Author: Christa O'Cull
Major Program: Family Development General
The problem - Kid's Count Data 2022 (Lewis County, KY) reflects that 32.1% of children are born into poverty and 74% of children are part of low-income families (116 out of 120 counties). The same report states that 17.9% of children are born to mothers without a high school degree with 44.2% (109 out of 120 counties) are born to teen mothers.The educational program response - The Lewis County Extension Office Master Clothing Volunteers collaborate with The Lewis County Family Resource &
Author: David Weisenhorn
Major Program: Family Development General
U.S. census data shows that 7.1 million American grandparents are living with their grandchildren under the age of 18. Some 2.3 million of those grandparents are responsible for their grandchildren. In Kentucky, 51,762 grandparents are responsible for their grandchildren, with a total of 125,706 children living in homes where a relative is head of household. As these numbers have increased over the years, so has the demands for financial and emotional security, as well as educational and b
Author: Kerri Ashurst
Major Program: Family Development General
Dr. Ashurst began directing the Extension Military Teen Adventure Camp (MTAC) program in 2012. The basis of the MTAC program is to provide “goal-oriented, experiential activities within nature using a family-based approach to create a deeper understanding and greater appreciation among family members, which can lead to more positive and successful outcomes” (Ashurst et al., 2014). The MTAC curriculum is grounded in wilderness and adventure therapy models. In general, wild
Author: Heather Toombs
Major Program: Family Development General
Kentucky obesity in Adults as of 2020 is 36.6%. 23.3% of Oldham County Adults are considered obese.Family meals have been shown to have a positive correlational effect on childhood obesity. Cook with Me was a three-day curriculum where 14 individuals making up 4 families, would discuss and demonstrate meal planning, setting the table, cooking, eating, having dinner discussions, and cleaning up together to encourage family meal time. The Oldham County Family Consumer Science Agent demonstrated sh
Author: Keller
Major Program: Family Development General
Title: Parenting Workshop – Nutrition ToolsMajor Program: Family Development GeneralPlan of Work: Increase physical and mental health literacy & activityOutcome Level: InitialSNAP Related: YesThe Parenting Workshops were hosted by the Hickman County Family and Consumer Sciences agent at the Hickman County Extension office in partnership with the Hickman County Public School Family Resource Office. To allow as many parents and families to attend as possible, four sessions were hel
Author: Lynn Blankenship
Major Program: Family Development General
The problemMetcalfe County is a small, rural agricultural community in south central Kentucky. Due to the geography of the Appalachian foothills in our community, there are many families living in isolated areas. The poverty rate in Metcalfe County is 19.8%. According to the most recently available annual report on child fatality and near fatality by the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s External Review Panel, a contributing factor is a lack of community collaborative services
Author: Lora Davidson
Major Program: Family Development General
The FCS Agent and FCS Team at the Laurel County Extension office decided to host a StoryWalk as a unique and engaging way to promote early literacy and physical activity among the children in their community. The CDC recommends that adolescents who are between the ages of 6-17 years of age, receive at least 6o minutes of physical activity a day. The FCS team recognized the potential of this innovative concept and were able to host this event for the 2nd year in a row that would leave a las
Author: Tyrone Atkinson
Major Program: Family Development General
January 2023 began a new chapter for the 4-H Military Partnerships Grant. The state of Kentucky houses two Army bases in Fort Knox and Fort Campbell, and in the past, the 4-H MP Grant has helped to provide 4-H clubs and youth development programming on post for youth, teens, and families. The grant had dissolved before the pandemic in 2018, and there has not been an active grant since. In the fall of 2022, a call for proposals came out, and through the collaboration partnership of Family and Con
Author: Tyrone Atkinson
Major Program: Family Development General
The Kentucky Military Teen Adventure Camp program has been funded for another year (2022 & 2023). Three camps were held this fiscal year of (1 camp in July 2022 & 2 camps in June 2023. The camps are for Parent service members (or spouses) and their teenage children. One hundred forty-nine participants from all service branches, including Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Veterans, attended. Families traveled from states including CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MI, NC NE, NY, OK,
Author: Tyrone Atkinson
Major Program: Family Development General
In the third year of the five year grant project, CYFAR Uplift has Byran Station Middle School has a Career Exploration class where students can learn and plan for their futures. The Uplift team chose to work with 8th graders as we believed it would be more fruitful as they begin to transition and think about going to high school and beyond. We began programming in October as Covid-19 was stiff affecting attendance, and there were students out due to contact tracing in schools. There were three
Author: Tyrone Atkinson
Major Program: Family Development General
The CYFAR Uplift Project has gained momentum in Year 4 of the grant project. Kentucky State University Extension professionals collaborated on the grant in both grant site locations to help build strong relationships with community partners and co-facilitated all programming to reach target audiences. Primary community partners in Hardin County include Hardin Schools, PURE, Sunrise, faith-based organizations, and community members. Primary community partners in Fayette County include Crawford Mi
