Edmonson County CES

Title:

Parenting/Child Development

MAP:

Improve Individual and Family Development

Agents Involved:

Julia Wilson

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.

Long-Term Outcomes:

1. Increase the number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in the state of Kentucky.
2. Improve academic success for children in Kentucky   

Intermediate Outcomes:

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

Initial Outcomes:

1. Kentuckians understand the importance of developmentally appropriate play to their child’s academic success
2. Increase child’s ability to express appropriate emotion
3. Improve child’s gross motor skills
4. Improve child’s early literacy skills including phonological awareness, print awareness, and vocabulary
5. Increase awareness of indicators of high-risk adolescent behaviors 
6. Identify key points of adolescent development
7. Establish realistic expectations for teen behavior, and explore changing relationships within families 

Evaluation:

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:  Laugh and Learn Play Dates Survey

Timeline:  January - December

 

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: July - June

  

 

Outcome: Increase number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in  Edmonson 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

 

Learning Opportunities:

  

Audience: Preschool aged children and their parent(s)

 

                        Project or Activity:  Various

                        Content or Curriculum: Laugh and Learn Playdates

                        Inputs: FCS Agent, Library, 

                        Date: On-Going

 

                        Project or Activity:  Various

                        Content or Curriculum: Stories, Songs, and Stretches

                        Inputs: FCS Agent, Local Preschool, Library

                        Date: On-Going

 

 

Success Stories