Nurturing FamiliesPlan of Work

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Carter County CES

Title:
Nurturing Families
MAP:
Nurturing Families
Agents Involved:
FCS
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Family Development General
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Child Development Programs
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Family Development General
Situation:

Healthy couple and parenting relationships and resulting family stability benefit the well-being of adults and children. Co-habiting, same-sex, divorced, widowed and single households are the new majority. 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. According to KY by the Numbers, in Carter County in between 2013-2017, 559 grandparents were responsible for their grandchildren and 110 children were determined to have been victims of child abuse or neglect. In 2013, 25%  of Kentucky children lived in poverty, ranking Kentucky 40th in the nation. Carter County unemployment rate and children living in poverty is even higher than the state average. In Carter County 62.6% of students are eligible for free lunch. 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. The Carter County Family and Consumer Sciences Advisory Council identified this area as the greatest need in our county and identified programs to provide more education in these areas.

Long-Term Outcomes:

Carter County 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

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

Intermediate Outcomes:

Parents will: 

Set and used family rules, routines and limited screen time

Ate family meals four or more times a week

Reduced stress levels, made time for selves, and/or made wise decisions about money, time, etc.

Played and spent quality time with child daily

Reported child’s developmental progress over time

Identified realistic expectations for child’s tasks

Practice skills to strengthen and sustain relationships

Accessed community agencies and resources when needed

Engaged in community outreach activities

Initial Outcomes:

Parents 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

Commit to using logical consequences for misbehavior

Intend to contact community agencies for assistance

Intend to participate in volunteer activities

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Build Personal Strengths, interpersonal communication, and life skills to strengthen families

Indicator: Number of parents or caregivers reporting improved personal knowledge

Method: Pre and Post Test

Timeline: after first lesson


Intermediate Outcome: Foster the optimal development of children and youth

Indicator: Number of families able to identify realistic expectations for child.

Method: Pre and post test

Timeline: after the program is complete


Long-term Outcome: Build Community capacity

Indicator: Number of families who accessed community resources and decreased the need for intervention.

Method: Community assessment

Timeline: 1-4 years

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Parents, Caregivers, and Children

Project or Activity: Playdate Program

Content or Curriculum: Laugh and Learn Playdate

Inputs: KY CES publications, FCS Agent, program assistants, specialists, and Community Partners

Date: Monthly


Audience: Fathers, Father figure, and children

Project or Activity: Day Out With Dad

Content or Curriculum: Father's Reading Everyday

Inputs: National Fatherhood Initiative, Community Partners (FRYSC, Drug Free Coalition, Carter County Schools, and volunteers),

Date: September


Audience: Families

Project or Activity: Child Abuse Prevention Event

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, National Fatherhood Initiative

Inputs: Community Partners, Agencies, FRYSC

Date: April




Success Stories

Laugh and Learn

Author: Whitney Morrow

Major Program: Child Development Programs

Laugh and Learn

Laugh and Learn PlaydatesPer the Early Childhood Profile only 42.8% of Kindergarteners were considered kindergarten ready in 2022. Parents identified the need to have positive child development activities for age’s birth through five years. There are no other programs in Carter County available for young children and they felt they had limited opportunities to develop social skills. In April, 2013 the Carter County Cooperative Extension Service Family and Consumer Sciences began a program

Full Story
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