Extension
It Starts With Us
Growing Trigg County's Families
Nurturing Families
Cecelia Hostilo
Nurturing Families (general)
Home is Where the Health Is
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. Stresses on military families are more difficult and prolonged because of the demands on military personnel to serve multiple deployments, frequently in combat zones. 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 2013, 25 percent of Kentucky children lived in poverty, ranking Kentucky 40th in the nation. 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. More than half of Kentucky’s 56 judicial circuits have some form of mandated divorce education; more such education is needed.
Trigg County Families will:
•Foster the optimal development of children and youth
•Build personal strengths and self-control, interpersonal communication, life skills including wise decision-making
Increase individuals who report:
•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
Individuals will report changes in knowledge and attitudes concerning:
•Setting family rules regarding eating together, limiting screen time, active play and exercise, set routines
•Managing stress; make time for self; listen, talk, bond with family members; read with child daily; teach responsibility in use of money, time, etc.
•Describing child developmental levels relative to averages
•Verbalizing realistic behavior expectations
Initial Outcome: Report changes in knowledge and attitudes
Indicator: Of the total number of clients reached with information on the setting family rules, managing stress, and having realistic expectations for children, the number that report an understanding of the importance of those concepts.
Method: Pre/Post test
Timeline: Spring/Summer 2017
Intermediate Outcome: The practice of spending quality time with family, managing stress, and strengthening relationships.
Indicator: The number of individuals who report putting concepts into practice.
Method: Pre/Post test
Timeline: Spring Summer 2018
Long-term Outcome: Increase the stability of families by continuing skills in fostering the development of children and youth, interpersonal skills, building personal strengths, and practicing good life skills.
Indicator: Number of individuals who follow through with concepts taught.
Method: Pre/Post Test; observation
Timeline:
Audience: Preschool families
Project or Activity: Extension Newsletters
Content or Curriculum: Preschool Pages, Healthy Choices, Youth Health Bulletin
Inputs: Extension specialists, agents
Date: July-June (on-going)
Audience: Preschool Parents
Project or Activity: Parent Programming
Content or Curriculum: Various extension publications and curriculums
Inputs: Agents, Extension specialists, community agencies
Date: September-March annually
Audience: Child Care Providers
Project or Activity: Required training hours
Content or Curriculum: Various Extension resources, CYTTAP resources, IMIL resources
Inputs: Agents, community agencies, Extension Specialists
Date: September- March annually
