Extension
It Starts With Us
Family Resilience and Skill Building
Strengthening Families
Luci Hockersmith
Family Development General
Positive Employability
Financial Education - General
Apparel and Textiles (Non-Master Clothing Volunteer)
Healthy couple and parenting relationships and resulting family stability benefit the well-being of adults and children. 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.
Also, 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 the national average). Whether it is the graying of America or extended life expectancies, aging is a lifespan process. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge and celebrate the changes that accompany aging, in regard to health, independence and life quality throughout all stages of life. And since Mercer County statistics are well above the state national averages, we aim to help individuals, families and communities manage the challenges and discover the positive aspects of life transitions and growing older.
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
Aging families are able to:
* Decrease falls
* Decrease obesity
* Decrease # of individuals with chronic disease
* Increase physical activity
* Increase estimated health savings
* Increase caregiving knowledge and quality relationships
* Improve financial education
* Improve healthy homes and communities
* Improve quality of life for Mercer County’s aging families
* Build strong Mercer County families
Families will:
* Set and used family rules, routines and limited screen time
* Eat family meals four or more times a week
* Reduce stress levels, make time for selves, and/or make wise decisions about money, time, etc.
* Play and spend quality time with child(ren) daily
* Report child’s developmental progress over time
* Identify realistic expectations for child’s tasks
* Report using preventive and positive discipline techniques in response to misbehavior, and setting and enforcing logical consequences
* Practice skills to strengthen and sustain relationships
* Access community agencies and resources when needed
* Engage in community outreach activities
* Change behavior to decrease risk of falling
* Increase communication and enhance relationships and social support.
* Enhance brain activity
* Improve mental health
* Create a legacy
* Increase skills to interact/work with older adults
* Make healthy eating choices and follow safe food handling practices
* Work as a family unit to acknowledge and embrace aging issues
Families will:
* Commit to set family rules regarding eating together, limiting screen time, active play and exercise, set routines
* Intend 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.
* Describe child’s developmental levels relative to averages
* Verbalize realistic behavior expectations
* List developmentally appropriate playthings
* Discuss discipline vs. punishment, and preventive and positive discipline techniques
* Commit to using logical consequences for misbehavior
* Intend to contact community agencies for assistance
* Intend to participate in volunteer activities
* Seek to reduce risk of falling
* Intend to adopt healthy lifespan behaviors
* Engage in discussions about life story and legacy, ageism, empathy, death, dying, loss and bereavement, and other age-related family issues (e.g. dementia, power of attorney, living wills, failing health, end-of-life)
* Commit to healthy eating and food safety practices
* Engage in financial planning
Initial Outcome: Increase skills and resources of caregivers to provide effective care for young relatives
Indicator: Number of parents/caregivers reporting improved skills/knowledge in child development, discipline and guidance.
Method: program evaluations (PASTA, Nurturing Father's, pre- and post- Nurturing Parenting AAPI Inventory)
Timeline: August - May
Initial Outcome: Learn about prevention and how to adapt healthy lifestyles
Indicator: Total number of individuals/families reached with information to improve healthy lifestyle choices specifically related to aging/longevity
Method: program evaluations (Keys to Embracing Aging, Stand Up to Falling, AARP Prepare to Care, 10 Warning Aigns/UAD)
Timeline: Spring
Intermediate Outcome: Adapt healthy lifestyles related to aging and longevity
Indicator: Of the total number of individuals/families reached with information to improve healthy lifestyle choices specifically related to aging/longevity, the total number of individuals/families/caregivers reporting adapted behavior
Method: 3-6 month post-lesson evaluations (Keys to Embracing Aging, Stand Up to Falling, AARP Prepare to Care, 10 Warning Aigns/UAD)
Timeline: ongoing
Audience: Parents and Caregivers
Project or Activity: Nurturing Parenting classes
Content or Curriculum: Nurturing Parenting
Inputs: FCS Agent, Burgin Family Connections (FRYSC), Division for Community Based Services Protection and Permanency
Date: Fall and Spring
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Aging and Longevity programs
Content or Curriculum: Keys to Embracing Aging, Stand Up to Falling, AARP Prepare to Care, 10 Warning Aigns/UAD
Inputs: FCS Agent, Extension Specialist, AARP
Date: TBD
Audience: Adults & Youth
Project or Activity: Community, Parent and Youth Cafes
Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Strengthening Families, Family Thrive, BeStrongFamilies.org, Protective Factors
Inputs: FCS Agent, Extension Specialist
Date: ongoing
Audience: Adults & youth
Activity: Media (news articles, newsletters, videos, podcasts, social media - Facebook)
Content or Curriculum: Exclusives, 4-H Agent News Releases, publications, HEEL materials, etc.
Inputs: Extension Staff, University of Kentucky Ag Communications
Date: Year-long (on-going)
Audience: Individuals and Families
Project or Activity: Financial Education
Content or Curriculum: Money Habitudes, Good Credit Game, Real Skills for Everyday Life, Recovering Your Finances
Inputs: FCS Agent, Extension Specialists, publications and resources, local community partners/sponsors
Date: TBD
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Income and Workforce Development workshops
Content or Curriculum: Positive Employability
Inputs: FCS Agent, Extension Specialists, publications and resources, local community partners/sponsors
Date: TBD
Audience: Individuals
Project or Activity: Sewing workshops
Content or Curriculum: publications
Inputs: FCS Agent, Extension Specialist, publications and resources
Date: TBD
Author: Luciana Hockersmith
Major Program: Build Engaged and Empowered Communities – General
Given the pandemic circumstances that prevented Extension Offices from holding in-person meetings, the Mercer County Interagency Council had been unable to meet for four months since the Mercer County office hosted the regular monthly meeting. In July, the Extension Agent for Family & Consumer Sciences offered to host the meetings via Zoom. The first virtual meeting was held in August with over 25 participants; subsequent monthly meetings have been facilitated by the FCS Agent an
Author: Luciana Hockersmith
Major Program: Build Engaged and Empowered Communities – General
According to 2010 US Census Bureau statistics, the racial makeup of Mercer County is estimated to be 91.9% white, 3.5% black, 2.4% latino, 0.4% asian and 2% or less of american indian or alaskan native , native hawaiian or pacific islander. These numbers indicate that Mercer County, in terms of racial diversity, is recognizably behind the state averages. With limitations on racial diversity, the Mercer County Cooperative Extension Service in collaboration with more than 20 local businesses
Author: Luciana Hockersmith
Major Program: Substance Use Prevention and Recovery General
Substance use and substance use disorder (SUD) are pervasive public health problems in the United States, and specifically, in the state of Kentucky. In the year since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, the United States suffered a record 88,000 overdose deaths (CDC, 2021). More specifically, Kentucky counties have seen increases in hospitalizations, infectious diseases, non-fatal overdoses, and other complications related to drug use, all while leading the nation
