Extension
It Starts With Us
Nurturing Families General
Nurturing Families
Kathy Byrnes, Joan Bowling, Linda Brown-Price
Nurturing Families (general)
Nurturing Parenting
Grandparents and Grandchildren Together
Relationship Smart Plus 3.0
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 expectancies, 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.
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
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
• 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
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
Long-term Outcome:
Indicator:
Method:
Timeline:
Audience: Head Start students, Covington Housing Authority residents, general public
Project or Activity: LEAP
Content or Curriculum: LEAP materials, UK publications
Inputs: UK Specialist
Date: Monthly series August 2017 through May 2018
Audience: Parents and teens
Project or Activity: Relationship smarts series
Content or Curriculum: Relationship Smarts Curriculum Extension publications; UK fact sheets
Inputs: UK Specialists
Date: April 2018
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 2017 through June 2018
Audience: General Public
Activity: Living Well Newsletter
Content: Parenting Financial and Nutrition
Inputs: UK publications
Date: January-December
Audience: Parents
Activity: Parenting Newsletter
Content: Parenting, Financial, and Nutrition
Inputs: UK Specialists, other land grant universities - Extension
Date: October 2017/December/February/April 2018
Audience: Grandparents Raising Children, Parents and Caregivers
Content: Nurturing Families Curriculum
Activity: ABC’s of Parenting Series
Inputs: UK Specialists, local family court officials, Family Nurturing Center
Date: Fall 2017
Audience: General Public
Activity: Healthy Brain Series - Eating and Action
Content: Tufts University research, UK Specialists
Inputs: UK Specialist
Date: Fall 2017
Audience: General Public
Activity: Alzheimer’s:Myths or Facts
Content: UK Curriculum – Know the Signs
Inputs: Alzheimer’s Assoc.
Sanders Brown Center on Aging
Date: August 2017
Audience: Young Adults and ParentsActivity: Launching Your Child into Adulthood
Content: Extension Sponsored
Inputs: UK Agents
Date: April 2018
Author: Joan Bowling
Major Program: Grandparents and Grandchildren Together
In response to an overwhelming increase in the numbers of grandparents and relatives who are raising children in Kenton County the Cooperative Extension Service began a support group in 2004 to help those families. The support group has been the only one of its kind within the county that is not affiliated with a religious organization or specific social group. The monthly meeting serves as a place for caregivers to network with others in similar situations while also gaining knowled
Author: Kathy Byrnes
Major Program: Nurturing Families (general)
A clinical study conducted by the Home Sewing Association (HSA) revealed that women who sew — both skilled as well as novice sewers–experienced a drop in heart rate, blood pressure and perspiration rate when compared women who participated in other leisure-time activities. Sewers claimed to feel better after engaging in their favorite activity. Sewing is an activity that is often enjoyed by highly creative and productive people, yet can actually be used as a stress-buster with health
Author: Kathy Byrnes
Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
The Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA) distinguishes itself from other traditional “women’s clubs” by its goal to provide regular educational programs to its membership. Traditionally, this has been done through monthly trainings taught by county extension agents in the area. As membership decreases, along with interest in attending these traditional leader trainings, the N. KY. Area Family and Consumer Sciences Agents, al
Author: Kathy Byrnes
Major Program: Embracing Life as We Age (general)
The Alzheimer’s Association reports that in 2018 there are 5.7 million Americans living with the disease, and by 2050 they estimate 14 million Americans will have Alzheimer’s disease. Although there is no cure for the disease, much research is being done about ways to reduce the risk. With this in mind, the Family and Consumer Sciences agents in Kenton County planned a 3 – part series titled “Brain Matters”, presenting the latest research on nutrition, physical
Author: Daniel Allen
Major Program: Poultry
In Cooperative Extension Service success is measured on many scales. For most of the Agriculture Agent’s program this is usually done by groups of producers. However, one exception happened in April of this year. The recent trend of backyard chickens has continued to grow in our area, as determined by the increased number of municipalities with regulations around chicken ownership. Three of the 17 participants that attended the program was a mother and her two sons. The younger son had a l
Author: Joan Bowling
Major Program: Nurturing Families (general)
As a result of a community outreach and networking agency input, the Kenton County Cooperative Extension Service partnered with the Kenton County Library Erlanger Branch, Northern Kentucky Health Department, Kenton County Schools Family Resource Centers, and several other health organizations to host an Expectant Parent Baby Shower Resource Fair. The goal of this event was to provide expectant parents and those with small children with needed education and community resources. Topics inclu
