Success Stories By MajorProgram FY2025Jul 1, 2024 - Jun 30, 2025
Family Resource Fair
Author: Rebecca Miller
Major Program: Family Development General
Due to the rising cost of groceries, utilities, and gas across our nation, state and county, families are struggling to make ends meet. This has left them seeking support and needing assistance to help provide for those, they are caring for on a daily basis. Offering an opportunity and raising awareness of the services that businesses and organizations supply, our first ever resource fair was held. Bell County Family and Consumer Science Agent, along with S
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A Day with Dad
Author: Shannon Smith
Major Program: Family Development General
The "A Day with Dad" program, sponsored by the Family and Consumer Science Program through the Bracken County Extension Office and Family Youth Resource Services (FRYSC), emphasizes the critical role father figures play in the emotional and social development of children. By offering a day of fishing, craft-making, and shared meals, this program fosters positive, meaningful interactions between children and their father figures, creating lasting memories that strengthen family bonds.Re
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Ohana Day brings families and Community together
Author: Rebecca Woodall
Major Program: Family Development General
There is a local park in a disadvantaged neighborhood. In the summer, a lot of kids hang out there all day with only a few pieces of playground equipment to play on. Most of the activities in town are on the other side of town. I have noticed a lack of organized activity in the area, which leads to the kids finding trouble. Our FCS program decided to have a Family fun day to encourage bonding and healthy living. We decided to call the day Ohana Day. We partnered w
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Creating and Maintaining Family Traditions
Author: Macey Stewart
Major Program: Family Development General
This program was an effort to share information about the importance of maintaining family traditions during holiday gatherings, while maintaining a budget, to families expecting children or with children younger than 90 days. This was a collaboration with the Johnson County Health Department, serving all of Johnson County residents. Although this is a program offered to everyone in the community, the socioeconomic status of the clientele represented during this event was very low; additionally,
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Holiday Cooking School
Author: David Coffey
Major Program: Family Development General
Strong families are those that create a sense of connection, closeness, emotional safety, security, and stability. One way to maintain a strong and healthy family is through traditions. Kentucky has a variety of family traditions and values that are deeply rooted in its strong sense of community ties and support networks.In London, KY, the Wilderness Trail Area organized a Holiday Cooking School. This event focused on family traditions, educating participants about food safety and family traditi
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Fostering Independent Living for Adults with Disabilities
Author: Carolina Robles
Major Program: Family Development General
Describe the Issue or Situation: Adults with disabilities often face challenges in achieving and maintaining an independent living lifestyle due to limited access to practical education and skills training. Many adults in this population rely on caregivers for daily tasks, which can impact their confidence and autonomy. Capacity Care, a therapy center and provider of in-home, non-medical care for seniors and persons with disabilities, identified a need to provide structured learning opportunitie
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The Importance of Family Traditions in Building Strong Families
Author: Linda Burgard
Major Program: Family Development General
Strong families are built on a foundation of connection, closeness, emotional safety, security, and stability. One effective way to nurture these qualities is by establishing and maintaining family traditions. In Kentucky, family traditions and values are deeply intertwined with a strong sense of community and support networks, making them a cornerstone of the region’s culture.In London, KY, the Wilderness Trail Area recently hosted a Holiday Cooking School, an event dedicated to celebrati
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Holiday Cooking School
Author: Delaney Eubanks
Major Program: Family Development General
Strong families are those that create a sense of connection, closeness, emotional safety, security, and stability. One way to maintain a strong and healthy family is through traditions. Kentucky has a variety of family traditions and values that are deeply rooted in its strong sense of community ties and support networks.In London, KY, the Wilderness Trail Area organized a Holiday Cooking School. This event focused on family traditions, educating participants about food safety and family traditi
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Holiday Cooking School
Author: Chasity Heck
Major Program: Family Development General
In todays fast paced life it is essential to intentionally focus on building and maintaining strong family traditions. Strong families are those that create a sense of connection, closeness, emotional safety, security, and stability. One way to maintain a strong and healthy family is through traditions. Kentucky has a variety of family traditions and values that are deeply rooted in its strong sense of community ties and support networks.In London, KY, the Wilderness Trail Area organized a Holid
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"A Morning with Mrs. Claus"
Author: Kelly Alsip
Major Program: Family Development General
"A Morning with Mrs. Claus" Brings Holiday Cheer to McCracken CountyThe McCracken County Cooperative Extension recently hosted a festive "A Morning with Mrs. Claus" event that delighted young and old alike. The morning was filled with holiday magic, from a charming 12 Days of Christmas story walk and a visit with the jolly Mrs. Claus herself to creative crafts and delicious treats.Children eagerly participated in a variety of engaging activities. They transformed into miniatu
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Christmas Assistance Parenting Workshop
Author: Keller
Major Program: Family Development General
Each year Extension, KAPS/FRYSC, and the Mission House in Hickman County partner to provide family focused skill development workshops covering nutrition (general and youth focused), financial literacy, and building and maintaining effective communication in family settings. Through our community partners, Christmas assistance is provided as an incentive to attend the workshops each year. Through these skill development workshops parents and caregivers are able to learn more about im
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Nutrition Program on Healthy Meal Planning for Seniors Brings Success in Hardin County-Dec. 2024(YEAR 2024)
Author: Chandra DeRamus
Major Program: Family Development General
Title: Nutrition Program on Healthy Meal Planning for Seniors Brings Success in Hardin CountyPlanning Unit: Hardin County CESMajor Program: General NutritionOver the last several months the price of groceries has increased around the world. In some states such as Kentucky within Hardin County they are seeing a shift in the way that people are dealing with this sudden change. This makes it a lot more challenging for some families in particular seniors to afford groceries because the majority of t
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Inspiring Grandchildren to be Grand Cooks
Author: Macey Stewart
Major Program: Family Development General
Getting children involved with cooking supports their development in many ways. But changes in culture, family structure, and food costs have led to changes in cooking at home. With fewer chances to learn and practice cooking, there are concerns that cooking skills will be lost in younger generations. The Johnson County Extension Office hosted Leader Lessons for 15 people with a session called Inspiring Children to Become Grand Cooks. This program highlighted the important role older adults
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Metcalfe County Family and Consumer Sciences Program Advisory Council - Annual Baby Safety Fair
Author: Lynn Blankenship
Major Program: Family Development General
Stronger parenting and relationship building skills is included in the top fifteen identified issues/needs for family and individual development, from the most recent survey of Extension. According to the 2024 Kentucky Child Fatality Review, in 2023 SUID or sudden unidentified infant death was the leading cause for infant death in Kentucky. Annually, motor vehicle related cause of death for all children under age 18 is included in the top five causes of child deaths in Kentucky. &nbs
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Best Start Family Event
Author: Anna Morgan
Major Program: Family Development General
The Four River Counties Regional Collaborative has provided high quality early childhood education for over 20 years in Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, and Hickman counties. The Best Start Family Event was created with the intention of helping those families from prenatal to age two, as this has always been an underrepresented audience in the work of the collaborative. The goal of this event is to teach families about health and nutrition, parenting, safety, available area resources, and the importan
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2025 Annual Community Baby Shower
Author: Katelyn Squires
Major Program: Family Development General
In today’s society we are seeing an increase in pregnancies and growing families. We are also living in an ever-changing economy that is hard on growing families and individuals. Green County Help, Hope, and Hands (extension group) and Green County Extension partnered with the Green River Early Childhood Collaborative to host the Annual Community Baby Shower. This was the first year that was partnered with the Green River Early Childhood Collaborative, and it will definitely not be the las
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2025 Best Start Family Event
Author: Sarah Drysdale
Major Program: Family Development General
The Four River Counties Regional Collaborative has provided high quality early childhood education for over 20 years in Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, and Hickman counties. The Best Start Family Event was created with the intention of helping those families from prenatal to age two, as this has always been an underrepresented audience in the work of the collaborative. The goal of this event is to teach families about health and nutrition, parenting, safety, available area resources, and the importan
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Living with Alpha Gal Syndrome
Author: Paul Sizemore
Major Program: Family Development General
While still considered “rare” relative to other medical issues in the state, Kentucky is one of the states with the most cases of alpha-gal syndrome in the US, according to the CDC, with some Kentucky counties presenting the highest cases per capita in the country. This condition is developed in some people after a bite from a lone star tick. There is no known treatment for alpha-gal syndrome. Instead, lifestyle changes can be made that help manage and reduce the symptoms. This inclu
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Providing New Familes a "Best Start"
Author: Brooke Hogancamp
Major Program: Family Development General
The Four River Counties Regional Collaborative has provided high quality early childhood education for over 20 years in Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, and Hickman counties. The Best Start Family Event was created with the intention of helping those families from prenatal to age two, as this has always been an underrepresented audience in the work of the collaborative. The goal of this event is to teach families about health and nutrition, parenting, safety, available area resources, and the importan
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FCS Supports New Parents
Author: David Weisenhorn
Major Program: Family Development General
Title: FCS Supporting New ParentsRelevance: Becoming a parent presents a multitude of challenges, primarily revolving around not knowing what to expect, exhaustion, identity shifts, relationship changes, and anxieties about your baby's well-being. These experiences can take a toll on a parent’s mental and emotional health, requiring adjustment and support. Responsive, supportive caregiving during this period not only strengthens the parent-child bond but also helps children develop sec
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FCS Supports Kinship Families
Author: David Weisenhorn
Major Program: Family Development General
Title: FCS Supports Kinship FamiliesRelevance: More than 8 million children in the United States are being raised by relatives. In Kentucky, 125,706 children live in homes where a family member—often a grandparent or other relative—is the head of household. This places Kentucky among the states with the highest kinship care populations. As the number of kinship families has grown, so have their needs for financial stability, emotional support, and access to educational and behavioral
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Super Success of Kindergarten Readiness Event
Author: Rebecca Woodall
Major Program: Family Development General
According to the Early Childhood Profile, approximately 49% of children in Caldwell and Crittenden counties are not ready for kindergarten. With most children aged 0-5 in this area not enrolled in childcare, families need access to alternative educational programs that build kindergarten readiness skills. To address this need, the Caldwell and Crittenden Family and Consumer Sciences Agents partnered with the George Coon Public Library and the Caldwell, Crittenden, and Lyon Regional Collabor
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Preschool Pumpkin Days
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.
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Simpson County Community Baby Shower
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. The Area Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences partnered with the Simpson County Health Coalition to provide a Community Baby Shower for new and expecting parents in Simpson County. Families received resources from many community partners, including tho
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Hardin & LaRue County Community Baby Shower Promoting Healthy Choices for New Moms and Families -(June 2025)
Author: Chandra DeRamus
Major Program: Family Development General
Within Hardin County, a disproportionate number of Kentucky families live in economically distressed communities (39% of Kentucky.) From housing to grocery store expenses, the cost of living continues to rise, and households are ill-equipped to adjust to the rising cost of living. This makes it really challenging for parents to afford an affordable home and raise children without feeling strain in their budget.As a result of the economic strain on families our local community organization, Commu
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Supporting New Mothers: The Return of the World's Greatest Baby Shower in Christian County
Author: Tiffany Bolinger
Major Program: Family Development General
After a multi-year hiatus, the World’s Greatest Baby Shower made a powerful comeback in Christian County thanks to the leadership of the Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) Agent and a coalition of dedicated community partners. The event welcomed 49 participants, including expectant and new mothers along with their guests, for a day centered around education, empowerment, and support.The event featured a community resource fair, an engaging seminar from a UK Extension Nutrition Specialist
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