Nurturing Families
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Cathy Jansen, Joyce Doyle, Christin Herbst
Nurturing Parenting
Keys to Great Parenting
Grandparents and Grandchildren Together
Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
Per County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, Carroll County is 87out 120 Counties for health outcomes. 44% of children in single-parent households
Healthy couple and parenting relationships and resulting family stability benefit the well-being of adults and children. Co-habiting, same-sex, divorced, widowed and single households are the new majority. Stresses on military families are more difficult and prolonged because of the demands on military personnel to serve multiple deployments, frequently in combat zones. Children who live absent from their biological fathers are two to three times more likely to be poor, to experience educational, health, emotional and behavioral problems than their peers who live with their married, biological (or adoptive) parents. In 2013, 25 percent of Kentucky children lived in poverty, ranking Kentucky 40th in the nation. Children who live in poverty are more likely to have learning disabilities and developmental delays. Furthermore, children who start kindergarten with delayed development and fewer assets are by far more likely to repeat grades, get tracked into lower-tier classes and drop out of high school than more advantaged children. More than half of Kentucky’s 56 judicial circuits have some form of mandated divorce education; more such education is needed.
How we live life is ever-changing but learning basic life skills is still as important as ever. Learning to practice healthy habits, select clothing to emphasize one’s best appearance, create and live within a budget, prepare nutritious meals safely, nurture children, create a safe and pleasant home environment, practice common courtesies, and form relationships with others—all of these skills are basic to everyday life.
Kentucky families are able to:
•Care for the physical and mental health and well-being of each individual over the long term
•Foster the optimal development of children and youth
•Practice parental leadership skills
•Build personal strengths and self-control, interpersonal communication, life skills including wise decision-making.
•Embrace people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds
•Reach out with empathy to people dealing with severe stress
•Access community resources when needed
•Become volunteers to make their community a better place to live for everyone
•Youth will be responsible and contributing individuals and family members.
•Youth will gain and maintain employment through life skill development.
•Youth will contribute to a safe, pleasant and productive home and family.
The number of people who:
•Set and used family rules, routines and limited screen time
•Ate family meals four or more times a week
•Reduced stress levels, made time for selves, and/or made wise decisions about money, time, etc.
•Played and spent quality time with child daily
•Reported child’s developmental progress over time
•Identified realistic expectations for child’s tasks
•Reported using preventive and positive discipline techniques in response to misbehavior, and setting and enforcing logical consequences
•Practice skills to strengthen and sustain relationships
•Accessed community agencies and resources when needed
•Engaged in community outreach activities
•Youth will utilize and practice life skills in projects and life situations
•Youth will project a positive image and self-confidence
•Youth will practice responsible consumer and financial decision-making
•Youth will practice healthy eating choices
•Youth will make choices that lead to responsible and beneficial results
•Youth will adopt habits and skills that contribute toward employability in the future
•Commits to set family rules regarding eating together, limiting screen time, active play and exercise, set routines
•Intends to manage stress; make time for self; listen, talk, bond with family members; read with child daily; teach responsibility in use of money, time, etc.
•Verbalizes realistic behavior expectations
•Discusses discipline vs. punishment, and preventive and positive discipline techniques
•Commits to using logical consequences for misbehavior
•Youth will gain knowledge and develop skills in Family & Consumer Sciences projects and programs
•Youth will understand the decision-making process
•Youth will gain skills in setting a goal and developing a plan of action
•Youth will learn to read and follow instructions
Long Term Outcome:
Decrease in Currently Carroll County is 87 out of 120 Counties for health outcomes, reduce counties rankings.
Indicator:
Decrease in rankings
Method:
County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, survey
Timeline:
July 2016 – 2020
Intermediate Outcome:
Healthy, nurturing families that spend quality time together, set realistic expectations for themselves and children.
Indicator:
More time spent together at community events/library, park indicated/reported
Method:
Surveys, observations
Timeline
July 2016-2020
Initial Outcome:
Identify families enroll in Learning opportunities to increase knowledge of nurturing families
Indicator:
Increase in class size and audiences not typically reached for regular programing
Timeline:
1-1 ½ years
Audience:
Court Order
Project or Activity:
Nurturing Families curriculum
Content or Curriculum:
Nurturing Families
Inputs:
Agent, Support Staff, Cabinet for Families for Human Resources, Extension publications, Time, Money
Date(s):
2019
2020
Audience:
Families: elementary school, Head Start, Early Start, Child Care Centers, Family resource centers
Project or Activity:
ABC’s parenting, Grandparents and Grandchildren Together
Content or Curriculum:
Keys to Great Parenting
Inputs:
Agent, UK Specialist, Newspaper (Weekly Columns)
Date(s):
All throughout the year
Audience:
Eighth Grade Students
Project or Activity:
Truth and Consequences: The Choice is Yours!
Content or Curriculum:
Truth and Consequences: The Choice is Yours!
Inputs:
Extension Agents, UK Publications, Local community volunteers, Time, Money
Date(s):
March 31, 2017
March 16, 2018
2019
2020
Author: Catherine Jansen
Major Program: Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
4-H Homemakers Club 2018As an increase of substance abuse in Carroll County is upon us, several organizations have talked about what to do with youth to help solve the program. The Cooperative Extension Service, Carroll County School System, FUEL, TRIAD, and Three Rivers Health Department had several meetings and the solution seems to be to introduce youth to more life skills and the opportunity to spend time as a family.A 4-H Homemakers Club was started in Carroll County for youth and
Author: Catherine Jansen
Major Program: Nurturing Families (general)
Girls Night OutWhen you live in a large city or urban area there are many opportunities for women to get together to bond or learn new skills. Sometimes in rural areas this is not available. A Girls Night Out Crafting Group was started to allow women in Carroll County the opportunity to do this. It is also a marketing tool for Extension and the Kentucky Homemakers Association.The classes meet monthly to learn a new craft skill from September through May. The class attendance range