Bell County CES

Title:

Parenting and Child Development

MAP:

Improve Individual and Family Development

Agents Involved:

Rebecca Miller

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Family Development General

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Stories, Songs, and Stretches

Situation:

“School-readiness” is a broad term that refers to multiple precursor cognitive, physical, and social-emotional skills that indicate young children are prepared to learn and thrive in the school environment. A wide body of research shows a strong foundation in school readiness is indicative of school success. Emerging research also indicates that there is a synergistic effect when early learning activities activate physical and cognitive skills simultaneously, as opposed to doing so in isolation. However, in the state of Kentucky only 50% of children are deemed “school-ready” when they enter Kindergarten.  These numbers indicate a need for more activities that support school-readiness by building multiple skill sets simultaneously.

96,000 children in Kentucky live in kinship care.  Kentucky ranks first in the nation for the most children in kinship care settings in the country.  15,000 children are in kinship care due to removal from their home.   Kinship care providers need support on different issues (stress, discipline, and how to care for themselves).

Long-Term Outcomes:

• Increase the number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in the state of Kentucky.
• Improve academic success for children in Kentucky 
• Improve families emotional overall being  

Intermediate Outcomes:

• Increase opportunities and access to more preschool learning activities outside of the home
• Increase number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in Bell County
• Increase number of learning activities experienced at home
• Increase child and parent social-emotional skills such as heightened self-awareness, responsible decision making, and self-management.
• Increase caregiver advocacy for children in their care including legal, medical, social, and educational services
• Increase access of community services to caregivers 

Initial Outcomes:

• Families understand the importance of developmentally appropriate play to their child’s academic success
• Increase child’s ability to express appropriate emotion/how to handle stress positively
• Improve child’s gross motor skills
• Improve child’s early literacy skills including phonological awareness, print awareness, and vocabulary
• Increase awareness of indicators of high-risk adolescent behaviors 
• Identify key points of adolescent development
• Establish realistic expectations for teen behavior, and explore changing relationships within families 

Evaluation:

Outcome: Increase child and parent social-emotional skills such as heightened self-awareness, responsible decision making, and self-management.

Indicator: How many children increased their ability to express emotion after attending the program?

Method:  Stories, Songs, and Stretches Survey

Timeline: Jan-Dec

Outcome: Increase number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in Bell County. 

Indicator: Several – (i.e. How many parents reported improved gross motor skills, social-emotional skills, and early literacy skills?) 

Method:  Kentucky Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Kindergarten Readiness Results

Timeline:  July- June

Outcome: Increase skills and resources of caregivers to provide effective care for young relatives

Indicator: Several – (i.e. How many caregivers improve skills/knowledge in child development, discipline and guidance, legal issues, and advocacy, stress)

Method: Parenting a Second Time Around (PASTA) Evaluation 

Timeline:  Post program evaluation 

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: children 5 and under and their families

Project or Activity:  Stories, Songs, and Stretches

Content or Curriculum: Stories, Songs and Stretches materials

Inputs: libraries, schools, agent

Date:on going

Audience: primary school aged children

Project or Activity: FRED (Families Reading EveryDay)

Content or Curriculum: FRED curriculum, books

Inputs: schools, resource centers, librarians, agent

Date: spring of year

Audience: grandparents, parents, youth, families

Project or Activity: Parent /Child Afterschool Group

Content or Curriculum:Keys to Embracing Aging, Sress pubs, UK Publications, Keys to Great Parenting

Inputs: agent, family resource centers, schools

Date: on going

Success Stories