Building Strong FamiliesPlan of Work

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Caldwell County CES

Title:
Building Strong Families
MAP:
Improve Individual and Family Development
Agents Involved:
Shane Bogle, Rhonda Jewell, Ashley Board
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Child Development Programs
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Family Development General
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Aging-General
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Camping
Situation:

The ever changing landscape of the family and the consumer highlights the need for a responsive and innovative family development program while also providing the basic needs that all families have as they navigate life’s many challenges. Healthy couple and parenting relationships and resulting family stability benefit the well-being of adults and children.  

People are living longer.  According to the 2019 Census Data, Kentucky’s current population of senior (65+) is 16.4%.  In Caldwell County, the current population of seniors is 17.8%  As the largest and fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, older adults influence everything from consumer behavior health-care cost.  While we may be adding years life, there is concern about life quality.  

96,000 children in Kentucky live in kinship care.  Kentucky ranks first in the nation for the most children in kinship care in the country.  Kinship care providers need support.

According to the 2019 Early Childhood Profile, only 64.1% of children in Caldwell County are ready for kindergarten. “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.   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.

Caldwell County Extension can help individuals and families establish healthy lifestyle behaviors and relationships throughout the lifespan.



Long-Term Outcomes:

*Increase the number of children who are "kindergarten ready" in Kentucky. 

*Improve academic success for children in Kentucky.

*Individuals improve health span through lifestyle choices and behaviors related to overall health and well-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 Caldwell 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.

*Individuals of all ages adapt healthy lifestyle choices, including diet, physical activity, no smoking/binge drinking.

*More households prepared for caregiving.



Initial Outcomes:

*Individuals understand the importance of developmentally appropriate play to their child's academic success.

*Increase child's ability to express emotion.

*Improve child's gross motor skills.

*Improve child's early literacy skills including phonological awareness, print awareness, and vocabulary. 

*Establish realistic expectations for child behavior and explore changing relationships within families.

* Individuals understand the importance of lifestyle choices and behaviors throughout their lifespan on their overall health, well-being, and life quality.

*Individuals learn that caregiver preparation is important.

*Individuals learn about resources to enhance life quality, safety, and to support aging families. 

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome:Learn about prevention and how to adapt healthy lifestyles; Parents learn fun age appropriate activities to aid in child's healthy development

Indicator: Number of individuals/families reached with information to improve healthy lifestyle choices specifically related to aging; Number of parents who expressed learning new activities to engage their children at home

Method: survey

Timeline: ongoing


Intermediate Outcome: Adapt healthy lifestyles related to aging and longevity; Increase child and parent social-emotional skills

Indicator: number of individuals/families/caregivers who adapted behavior; number of children who increased ability to express emotion

Method: survey 

Timeline:ongoing


Long-term Outcome: Kentucky's overall health span increases; Increase number of children who are kindergarten ready in Caldwell

Indicator: Number of programs and policies identified, adapted, created, and evaluated to promote healthy aging in KY; Kindergarten readiness number

Method:Kentucky Health Facts; Kentucky Governor's Office of Early Childhood Kindergarten Readiness Profile

Timeline: ongoing

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Homemakers, Seniors, Community members

Project or Activity: Keys to Embracing Aging

Content or Curriculum:Keys to Embracing Aging

Inputs: Extension Agents

Date:TBD


Audience:Homemakers, Seniors, Community members

Project or Activity: AARP Prepare to Care

Content or Curriculum:AARP Prepare to Care

Inputs: Extension Agents

Date:TBD


Audience:  Preschoolers and families

Project or Activity:  Laugh & Learn Preschool Playdate

Content or Curriculum:  various

Input:  Extension Agents

Date:  2022-2023


Audience:  Preschoolers and families

Project or Activity:  Stories, Songs, and Stretches

Content or Curriculum:  Stories, Songs, and Stretches

Input:  library, Extension Agents

Date: 2022-2023


Audience:  Kinship Caregivers; Community Members

Project or Activity:  various

Content or Curriculum:  Parenting a Second Time Around, Life Story/Memory Banking, Traditions

Input: FRYSC, Extension Agents

Date:  TDB


Audience:  Farm Families

Project or Activity:  Women in Agriculture

Content or Curriculum: various

Input:  Extension Agents

Date:  TBD


Audience:  Farm Families

Project or Activity:  Stress Management for Farm Families

Content or Curriculum:  various

Input:  UK Specialists, Extension Agents

Date:  TBD


Audience:  Cloverbuds (ages 5-8)

Project or Activity:  Cloverbud Family Camp

Content or Curriculum:  various

Input:  4-H agents and volunteers

Date: Summer 2023


Audience:  Cloverbuds Club (ages 5-8)

Project:  Cloverbud Club

Content or Curriculum:  Parent volunteers and 4-H agent

Date:  2022-2023


Audience: Parents, Drug Court Participants

Project: Active Parenting

Content or Curriculum: Active parenting, Nurturing parenting

Date: TBD


Audience: Drug Court Participants

Project: Building Healthy Relationships

Content or Curriculum: Relationship Smarts

Date: TBD



Success Stories

Community Early Childhood Council

Author: Ashley Board

Major Program: Family Development General

According to the Early Childhood Profile, approximately 40% of children in the Caldwell, Crittenden, and Lyon counties are not ready for kindergarten. The majority of children ages 0-5 in this area are not enrolled in childcare, therefore families need access to other educational programs to build kindergarten readiness skills.  The Caldwell, Crittenden, and Lyon Community Early Childhood Council was created to address this issue.  The Caldwell County and Crittenden County Family &

Full Story

Commotion in the Ocean

Author: Ashley Board

Major Program: Family Development General

The CDC recommends that preschool age children should be physically active throughout the day for growth and development.   Children and adolescents age 6-17 should participate in 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity each day.  Research shows that among U.S. children ages 2- 4, nearly 14% were overweight and 13.5% were obese.  Less than ¼ of children age 6-17 participate in 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Young children need help

Full Story

Life Simplified

Author: Ashley Board

Major Program: Family Development General

University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) programs are designed to reach audiences across the lifespan.  Many individuals in the 20-50 age desire to learn about the topics FCS provides but do not attend traditional programming for a variety of reasons: they are too busy, too embarrassed, too intimidated, etc.  To bridge the gap for these individuals, we must pivot and offer res

Full Story

Cloverbud Camp

Author: Rhonda Jewell

Major Program: Camping

Cloverbud Camp

Cloverbud Camp is a chance for youth ages 5-8 to have an opportunity to experience 4-H Camp but in a more secure setting than traditional 4-H Camp. Cloverbuds are afforded the same experiences as campers, but at Cloverbud Camp parents or guardians are required to attend with campers. This is a win/win situation because it allows the child the security of knowing that mom, dad or even their grandparent is close by and it also provides an opportunity for very special bonding time between campers a

Full Story
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