Extension
It Starts With Us
Nurturing Families
Nurturing Families
Messenger
Faithful Families
Grandparents and Grandchildren Together
Keys to Embracing Aging
The American Community Survey estimates that in the years between 2009 to 2013 in Cumberland County, approximately 59 grandparents lived with and were responsible for their own grandchildren. Also, 22% of adults ages 18 and older reported that they did not receive sufficient social-emotional support. Furthermore, 13 children were determined to have been victims of child abuse or neglect in 2013.
Healthy couple and parenting relationships and resulting family stability benefit the well-being of adults and children. 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 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. According to the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics in 2013, the percent of children ready for kindergarten in Cumberland County was 50%.
Cumberland County families are able to:
Care for the physical and mental health and well-being of each individual across the life span.
Practice parental leadership skills and implement healthy ways of praise and discipline.
Build personal strengths and self-control, interpersonal communication, life skills including wise decision-making.
Implement positive coping skills and stress management techniques.
Access community resources when needed.
Increase caregiving knowledge and quality relationships.
Improve quality of life for Kentucky’s aging families.
Family members will set and use family rules and routines, while decreasing the number of screen time hours.
Practice skills to strengthen and sustain relationships (for example, eating family meals together/discussing issues in a calm manner/holding family meetings).
Reported using preventive and positive discipline techniques in response to misbehavior, and setting and enforcing logical consequences.
Spend quality time with children daily, incorporating learning activities and report on child's developmental progress as related to school readiness and/or school performance.
Families/individuals will report reduced stress levels, made time for selves, and/or made wise decisions about money, time, etc.
Increase skills to interact/work with older adults.
Work as a family unit to acknowledge and embrace aging issues.
Participants will:
Commit to set family rules regarding eating together, limiting screen time, using active play and exercise, set routines.
Discuss discipline vs. punishment, and preventive and positive discipline techniques.
Learn concepts of natural and logical consequences and examples of each.
List age and developmentally appropriate playthings and milestones that children should reach.
Verbalize realistic behavior expectations.
Learn the signs of stress and ways of coping with stress throughout the lifespan.
Change in awareness, knowledge, and aspirations related to healthy aging, independent aging and quality aging.
Initial Outcome: Participants will set family rules/routines and learn concepts related to discipline and punishment. They will also learn how to use preventive and positive discipline techniques. Individuals will learn normal changes related to aging.
Indicator: Individuals will identify concepts learned and discuss positive changes implemented in families.
Method: Pre/Post Evaluations and self report
Timeline:Following programs
Intermediate Outcome: Participants will utilize family routines and rules and practice skills to enhance relationships. They will report using preventive and positive discipline techniques in response to misbehavior. Members will acknowledge aging issues and the effects on the family group and individual members.
Indicator: Family members will report strategies implemented and changes in individuals and family dynamics.
Method: Evaluations/self reports and follow-up surveys
Timeline: Following programs
Long-term Outcome: Family members will build personal strengths and self-control, interpersonal communication and life skills. They will also implement positive coping skills and stress management techniques.
Indicator: Members will deal with stressful situations in a positive manner by using skills learned and will indicate a decrease in the number negative outbursts and conflicts within the family unit.
Method: Program pre/post evaluations and self report/follow-up evaluations
Timeline: Beginning and end of program and follow-up surveys
Audience: Elementary School families (1st grade)
Project or Activity: iFamily: My Family Matters
Content or Curriculum: Keys to Great Parenting and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Fathers
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers; Kentucky CES publications and resources; Family Resource and Youth Services Center; CCES staff and volunteers
Date: Fall 2019
Audience: Cumberland County Families
Project or Activity: Nurturing Fathers
Content or Curriculum: Nurturing Fathers
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers; Kentucky CES publications and resources
Date: Fall 2019
Audience: Cumberland County Families
Project or Activity: Know the 10 Signs
Content or Curriculum: Know the 10 Signs- Alzheimer's Curriculum
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers; Kentucky CES publications and resources
Date: Summer 2019
Author: Deborah Messenger
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
After many discussions with the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent, it was decided that we needed to offer some educational programming on an online platform. Currently the Family and Consumer agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources agent, and SNAP-ED assistant were organizing take out bags for folks to pick up once a week with activities in them, but this would be for a different group of clientele. With that, it was determined that we would do two online series through Google Classroom.
