Extension
It Starts With Us
Nurturing Families
Nurturing Families
Whitney Morrow
Keys to Great Parenting
Nurturing Fathers
Nurturing Families (general)
Nurturing Parenting
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. 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 Carter County in 2013, 347 grandparents were responsible for their grandchildren and 110 children were determined to have been victims of child abuse or neglect. In 2013, 25 percent of Kentucky children lived in poverty, ranking Kentucky 40th in the nation. Carter County unemployment rate and children living in poverty is even higher than the state average. In Carter County 62.6% of students are eligible for free lunch. 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. The Carter County Family and Consumer Sciences Advisory Council identified this area as the greatest need in our county and identified programs to provide more education in these areas.
Carter County 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
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
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
Practice skills to strengthen and sustain relationships
Accessed community agencies and resources when needed
Engaged in community outreach activities
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.
Describes child’s developmental levels relative to averages
Verbalizes realistic behavior expectations
Lists developmentally appropriate playthings
Commits to using logical consequences for misbehavior
Intends to contact community agencies for assistance
Intends to participate in volunteer activities
Initial Outcome: Build Personal Strengths, interpersonal communication, and life skills to strengthen families
Indicator: Number of parents or caregivers reporting improved personal knowledge
Method: Pre and Post Test
Timeline: after first lesson
Intermediate Outcome: Foster the optimal development of children and youth
Indicator: Number of families able to identify realistic expectations for child.
Method: Pre and post test
Timeline: after the program is complete
Long-term Outcome: Build Community capacity
Indicator: Number of families who accessed community resources and decreased the need for intervention.
Method: Community assessment
Timeline: 1-4 years
Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Children
Project or Activity: Playdate Program
Content or Curriculum: Keys to Great Parenting, UK publications, Kentucky Learning Standards, Preschool Lesson Plans
Inputs: KY CES publications, FCS Agent, program assistants, specialists, and Community Partners
Date: Monthly
Audience: Parents
Project or Activity: Grahn Family Camp, Born Learning Academy
Content or Curriculum: Home is Where the Health Is
Inputs: KY CES publications, FCS Agent, program assistants, specialists, Grahn School Community Center, Heritage Elementary
Date: July 2018, Feb. 2019
Audience: Fathers, Father figure, and children
Project or Activity: Day Out With Dad
Content or Curriculum: Father's Reading Everyday
Inputs: National Fatherhood Initiative, Community Partners (FRYSC, Drug Free Coalition, Carter County Schools, and volunteers),
Date: September
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Child Abuse Prevention Event
Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, National Fatherhood Initiative
Inputs: Community Partners, Agencies, FRYSC
Date: April
Author: Whitney Morrow
Major Program: Nurturing Families (general)
With an increase in divorce, unwed parents, and single- family homes, the issue of absentee fatherhood is emerging. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million children in America -- one out of three -- live in biological father-absent homes. Almost thirty percent of families in Carter County are single parent families. According to www.fatherhood.org, having an absent father or father figure plays a role in all social problems that America faces today. Children wi
