Kenton County CES

Title:

Nurturing Families General

MAP:

Nurturing Families

Agents Involved:

Kathy Byrnes, Joan Bowling, Linda Brown-Price

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Family Development General

Situation:

Healthy couple and parenting relationships and resulting family stability benefit the well-being of adults and children. The number of children being raised by people other than their biological parents is on the rise in Kenton County. 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. With many of Kentucky's family courts mandating parenting education to families in crisis more such programs are needed. People are living longer. Kentucky's current population of seniors (65+) is 13.3%, a number that is expected to double in the next 40 years due to the aging Baby Boomers (post WWII babies born between 1946-1964). Approximately 25% of Kentucky's population includes Boomers, who, in 2011, started turning 65. Meanwhile, babies born in Kentucky in 2011 are projected to live to be 75 years old (3 years younger than national average). Whether it is the graying of America or extended life expectancy, aging is a lifespan process. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge and celebrate the changes that accompany aging and help individuals, families and communities manage the challenges and discover the positive aspects of life transitions and growing older.

Long-Term Outcomes:

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

Intermediate Outcomes:

The number of people who:
• Set and used family rules, routines and limited screen time
• Reduced stress levels, made time for selves, and/or made wise decisions about
money, time, etc.
• Identified realistic expectations for child's tasks
• Create a legacy
• Increase communication and enhance relationships and social support
• Work as a family unit to acknowledge and embrace aging issues
• 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

Initial Outcomes:

• 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
• Healthy lifespan behaviors
• Verbalizes realistic behavior expectations
• Lists developmentally appropriate playthings
• Discusses discipline vs. punishment, and preventive and positive discipline
techniques

Evaluation:

Outcome: Improved personal strengths and self-control, interpersonal communication, life skills including wise decision-making
Indicator: Increased positive parent/caregiver and child interactions
Method: Surveys, evaluations, telephone calls, testimonials, informal feedback
Timeline: 4 weeks following end of school/support group yearly meetings and/or classes

Outcome: Adjust and maintain environmental factors to promote independent aging
Indicator: Improved quality of life from change in home environment and increase in physical activity and caregiver knowledge
Method: Observation, informal feedback, surveys, evaluations
Timeline: Two months after the class

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Parents
Project or Activity: Talking to Your Child About Substance Abuse
Content or Curriculum: Drug Strike Force
Inputs: UK Specialist, Agent
Date: Monthly series

Audience: Parents and teens
Project or Activity: Relationship smarts
Content or Curriculum: Relationship Smarts Curriculum Extension publications; UK fact sheets
Inputs: UK Specialists, FCS agents
Date: April 2020

Audience: Relatives/Grandparents Raising Children
Project or Activity: Relatives/Grandparents Raising Children Support Group
Content or Curriculum: UK publications
Inputs: UK publications, Children's law office, Area Development District, FRYC's
Date: Monthly meetings August 2019 through May 2020

Audience: General Public
Activity: Living Well Newsletter
Content: Parenting Financial and Nutrition
Inputs: UK publications
 Date: June 2019–July 2020

Audience: Parents
Activity: Parenting Newsletter
Content: Parenting, Financial, and Nutrition
Inputs: UK Specialists, other land grant universities - Extension
Date: October 2019/December 2019/February 2020/April 2020 

Success Stories