Nurturing FamiliesPlan of Work

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Carter County CES

Title:
Nurturing Families
MAP:
Nurturing Families
Agents Involved:
Whitney Morrow
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Keys to Great Parenting
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Home is Where the Health Is
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Nurturing Families (general)
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Nurturing Parenting
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. In Carter County in 2013, 347 grandparents were responsible for their grandchildren and 110 children were determined to have been victims of child abuse or neglect. In 2013, 25 percent 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


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
Intermediate Outcomes:
The number of people who:

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


Reported using preventive and positive discipline techniques in response to misbehavior, and setting and enforcing logical consequences


Practice skills to strengthen and sustain relationships


Accessed community agencies and resources when needed


Engaged in community outreach activities
Initial Outcomes:
Commits to set family rules regarding eating together, limiting screen time, active play and exercise, set routines


Intends 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.


Describes child’s developmental levels relative to averages


Verbalizes realistic behavior expectations


Lists developmentally appropriate playthings


Discusses discipline vs. punishment, and preventive and positive discipline techniques


Commits to using logical consequences for misbehavior


Intends to contact community agencies for assistance


Intends 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 reporting using preventative and positive discipline techniques and setting logical consequences.
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: Keys to Great Parenting, UK publications, Kentucky Learning Standards, Preschool Lesson Plans

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

Date: Monthly


Audience: Parents

Project or Activity: Grahn Family Camp, Born Learning Academy

Content or Curriculum: Home is Where the Health Is

Inputs: KY CES publications, FCS Agent, program assistants, specialists, Grahn School Community Center, Heritage Elementary

Date: July 2017, Feb. 2018


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, businesses, churches, Family Court, mental health, and volunteers),

Date: Fall


Audience: Parents/Fathers

Project or Activity: Nurturing Parenting

Content or Curriculum: Nurturing Parenting, Fatherhood Curriculum

Inputs:  Pathways, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Genesis 

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Families

Project or Activity: Child Abuse Prevention Event

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, National Fatherhood Initiative

Inputs: Community Partners, Agencies

Date: April




Success Stories

StoryWalk Encourages Physical Activity and Literacy in Carter County

Author: Whitney Morrow

Major Program: Nurturing Families (general)

StoryWalk Encourages Physical Activity and Literacy in Carter County

The Center for Disease Control lists Kentucky as one of the least active states in the US.  This inactivity contributes to health problems including diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, etc.  Carter County ranks as one of the highest counties in the state for diabetes related deaths. When community members were surveyed, lack of environments to be active is a strong contributor to inactivity.  In addition to inactivity community leaders and educators also identified a need to encou

Full Story
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