Improve Individual and Family Development
Nurturing Families
Kendyl Redding, Jason Vaughn
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Family Development General
Science, Engineering, and Technology
Family and Consumer Science
“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.
- Increase the number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in the state of Kentucky.
- Improve academic success for children in Kentucky
- Increase opportunities and access to more preschool learning activities outside of the home
- Increase number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in Powell 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
- Kentuckians understand the importance of developmentally appropriate play to their child’s academic success
- Increase child’s ability to express appropriate emotion
- 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
Outcome: Kentuckians learn fun age appropriate activities to aid in their child’s healthy development.
Indicator: Number of parents who expressed learning new activities to engage their children at home.
Method: Observation and Survey
Timeline: Year long
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: Year long
Outcome: Increase number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in Powell 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)
Method: Parenting a Second Time Around (PASTA) Evaluation
Timeline: Post program evaluation
Audience: Preschool Youth and Parents
Project or Activity: Various
Content or Curriculum: Stories, Songs, and Stretches, Family Mealtime, LEAP, NEP youth curriculum
Inputs: FCS Agent, NEP staff, Library, Head start, Public Schools, etc.
Date: Ongoing
Project or Activity: Various
Content or Curriculum: Stories, Songs, and Stretches, The Dinner Table Project, LEAP, Nutrition Education, Cooking through the Calendar
Inputs: FCS Agent, NEP staff, Library, Head start, Public Schools, etc.
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Parents, Grandparents
Project or Activity: Various
Content or Curriculum: Parenting a Second Time Around,
Inputs: FCS Agent
Date: Annual
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Communications, 4-H After-school programming, home school groups, clover buds, Girls on the Run
Content or Curriculum: UK 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff; Volunteers, School Staff
Date: Ongoing
Author: Kendyl Redding
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
The life of a high school senior is full major life-changing decisions: selecting a college, picking a major, choosing a career path, and moving out. Although today’s adolescents are technologically advanced, they sometimes lack basic practical living skills. After being approached by school officials with this very same concern, the Family Consumer Sciences Agent and Family Resource Director at Powell County High School teamed up to create an Adulting 101 program for the senior class stud
Author: Emilee Bryant
Major Program: 21st Century Skills (Career & Workplace Development)
Due to the ongoing pandemic, the community saw a lack of financial and "real world education in students across the county. Many of them were not prepared to graduate, live on their own, or search for a career. Powell County 4-H, in partnership with the Powell County School system, was able to host a day of real world education - The Reality Store - at the Powell County Middle School for all 8th grade students. Students were given a monthly income amount based on their cur