Mercer County CES

Title:

Family Resilience and Skill Building

MAP:

Strengthening Families

Agents Involved:

Luci Hockersmith

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Family Development General

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Positive Employability

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Financial Education - General

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Apparel and Textiles (Non-Master Clothing Volunteer)

Situation:

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.

Long-Term Outcomes:

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

Intermediate Outcomes:

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

Initial Outcomes:

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

Evaluation:

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

Learning Opportunities:

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, Lisa Walker Center

Date: ongoing

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 Signs/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, Isaiah House/Lisa Walker Center

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

Success Stories