Rockcastle County CES

Title:

Relationships, Financial Education, Consumerism

MAP:

Thriving Individuals, Strong Families

Agents Involved:

Hazel Jackson

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Family Development General

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Substance Use & Mental Health

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Financial Education - General

Situation:

1.  “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.

2.   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. 

3.   Promoting positive personal finance behaviors prepares Kentuckians for any future economic shift. The United States has been in an extremely long period of economic expansion; however, expansions are cyclical, meaning growth is eventually followed by recession. Securing financial stability for Kentuckians will help families thrive no matter the economic outlook. Financial stability is achieved when families are able to secure and manage resources needed to supply food, clothing, and shelter. The ability to repair and sew clothing ads an understanding of qualities in garments that consumers should consider.   Through increased financial knowledge, families may be able to make wise financial decisions, increase buying power, avoid overextended credit, develop savings habits, and manage risks.

Long-Term Outcomes:

• Better communication skills among family members
• · Better family money management skills, such as reducing debt, increasing savings, and financial planning.
• · More effective employees and community leaders.
• · Improved financial capability for Kentuckians, results in better quality of life and stronger families.

Intermediate Outcomes:

• - 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
• Use of problem solving and listening skills by youth to complete 4-H sewing projects

Initial Outcomes:

- Kentuckians understand the importance of developmentally appropriate play to their child’s academic success

- Increase child’s ability to express appropriate emotion

Adult Mental Health, Memory retention and maintaining independence across the lifespan

- 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

Evaluation:

Wits Workout program evaluations

Learning Opportunities:

Fall 2024 Wits workout for Adults 6 sessions:  Wits Workouts will be paired with a beginner level stress-relieving activity for each session-- targeted for clients that are over 50 yrs of age

Fall 2024  Understanding Disabilities Program:  a 45 minute program for elementary age students about understanding and  accepting differences in others;  promoted for preschool through 4th grade at the beginning of the school year

Fall 2024-Spring 2025 Maintaining Independence in the Older Years: Group that will meet once each month to do educational activities together, maintain their independent living, increase their personal care skills, improve relationships; Curriculums & resources used will include:  Wits Workout, Health and Wealth, Money Habitudes, mental health curriculum, and several food preparation resources.

During school FCS classes- sewing projects 

Content or Curriculum: 4-H sewing curriculum

Inputs  :FCS agent and volunteers

Spring 2025