Promoting Individual and Family DevelopmentPlan of Work

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Todd County CES

Title:
Promoting Individual and Family Development
MAP:
Empowering Youth, Individuals and Families to Succeed
Agents Involved:
Jill Harris,
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Family Development General
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Aging-General
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Essential Skill Development
Situation:

People are living longer. Kentucky’s current population of seniors (65+) is 16.4% (2019 Census Data). By 2040 it is projected that every district will see an increase in the percent of the population that is age 65 and older (Zimmerman/KY by the Numbers). As the largest and fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, older adults influence everything from consumer behavior to health-care costs (U.S. Census). While we may be adding years to life, there is concern about life quality. This is because a person’s life expectancy, the total number of years a person is expected to live, does not always match a person’s “health span”—time spent in good health (Institute of Medicine). The life expectancy of Kentuckians, 75.1 years, fluctuates as much as 9 years between counties and ranks among the bottom five states. Heavily influenced by life-long lifestyle behaviors and choices, including quality of diet, physical activity and tobacco use, the Kentuckian health span is also below national averages. Kentucky FCS can help individuals and families establish healthy lifestyle behaviors and relationships throughout the lifespan as way to positively influence optimal aging and help reduce issues such as chronic disease, obesity, opioid and alcohol abuse, and mental illness.

 “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.

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.

Long-Term Outcomes:
Intermediate Outcomes:
Initial Outcomes:
Evaluation:

Outcome: (ST) Learn about prevention and how to adapt healthy lifestyles

Indicator:  Total number of individuals/families reached with information to improve healthy lifestyle choices specifically related to aging/longevity

Method:  Lesson Evaluations: Keys to Embracing Aging, Stand up to Falling, Bedrooms, Bathrooms and Beyond (Home Accessibility), RAAD/VDT, AARP Prepare to Care, 10 Warning Signs/UAD  

Timeline:  Ongoing


Outcome: (I) Adapt healthy lifestyles related to aging and longevity  

Indicator:  Of the total number of individuals/families who learned information about healthy lifestyle choices related to aging/longevity, the total number of individuals/families/caregivers who adapted their behavior

Method:  3-6 month Post Lesson evaluations: Keys to Embracing Aging, Stand up to Falling, Bedrooms, Bathrooms and Beyond (Home Accessibility), RAAD/VDT, AARP Prepare to Care, 10 Warning Signs/UAD  

Timeline: Ongoing

  

Outcome:  (LT) Kentucky’s overall health span increases

Indicator:  Number of programs and policies identified, adapted, created and evaluated to promote healthy aging in Kentucky

Method:  Overall Health Life Expectancy increases in KY 

Timeline:  Ongoing


Outcome:  Kentuckians learn fun age appropriate activities to aid in their child’s healthy development.

Indicator:  Number of parents who expressed learning new activities to engage their children at home.

Method:  Laugh and Learn Play Dates Survey

Timeline:  January - December


Outcome: Increase child and parent social-emotional skills such as heightened self-awareness, responsible decision making, and self-management.

Indicator: How many children increased their ability to express emotion after attending the program?

Method:  Stories, Songs, and Stretches Survey

Timeline: July - June

 

Outcome: Increase number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in Todd county. 

Indicator: Several – (i.e. How many parents reported improved gross motor skills, social-emotional skills, and early literacy skills?) 

Method:  Kentucky Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Kindergarten Readiness Results

Timeline:  July- June


Outcome: Increase skills and resources of caregivers to provide effective care for young relatives

Indicator: Several – (i.e. How many caregivers improve skills/knowledge in child development, discipline and guidance, legal issues, and advocacy)

Method: Parenting a Second Time Around (PASTA) Evaluation 

Timeline:  Post program evaluation 



Learning Opportunities:

Audience: All ages

Project or Activity:  Adapting Healthy Lifestyles

Content or Curriculum: Keys to Embracing Aging, Stand Up to Falling, Cook Together/Eat Together, Body Balance, Health Partners,  Credit Education, Money Habitudes, Recovering Your Finances

Inputs: Partner with community resources related to programs/listed in FCS

Date: Year-round


Audience: All ages

Project or Activity:  Caregiving

Content or Curriculum: AARP Prepare to Care, Alzheimer’s Association-10 Warning Signs and Understanding Alzheimer’s disease, Memory Banking, Kick Kentucky Cancer, RAAD/VDT, Master Health Volunteer, Faithful Families, Estate Planning, Parenting a Second Time Around

Inputs: Partner with community resources related to programs/listed in FCS

Date: Year-round


Audience: All ages

Project or Activity:  Disease Prevention/Early Detection

Content or Curriculum: Alzheimer’s Association 10 Warning Signs/UAD, Stand Up to Falling, Dining with Diabetes, Fit Blue, Health Partners, Master Health Volunteer, Be More

Inputs: Partner with community resources related to programs/listed in FCS

Date: Year-round


Audience: All ages

Project or Activity:  Aging workshops

Content or Curriculum: Aging awareness based on community need in collaboration with local community partners (food safety/nutrition, fall prevention, caregiving, healthy lifestyles, grandparenting, finding purpose/connection, etc.) 

Inputs: Community partners related to theme

Date: Quarterly 


Audience: Preschool aged children and their parent(s)

Project or Activity:  Various

Content or Curriculum: Laugh and Learn Playdates

 Inputs: FCS Agent, Library, 

 Date: Spring 2021



Audience: Kinship Caregivers

Project or Activity:  Various

Content or Curriculum: Parenting a Second Time Around

Inputs: FCS Agent, Community Education 

Date: Fall 2020




Success Stories

Mindfulness and Meditation - Follow up

Author: Jill Harris

Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General

Research is starting to demonstrate that practicing mindfulness can bring improvements in both physical and psychological symptoms as well as positive changes in health, attitudes, and behaviors.In response to these findings, the Todd County Extension Agent for Family & Consumer Sciences taught the workshop Mindfulness & Meditation for the Todd County Extension Homemaker Association in November, 2019. Emphasis was placed on understanding the different types of mindfulness practices,

Full Story

4-H Offered Educational Grab and Go Packets to 4-H Families in Times of Need

Author: Lee Ann McCuiston

Major Program: Communications and Expressive Arts

The Covid-19 pandemic presented a challenge for Extension programs all over the nation and Todd County Extension answererd the call by providing Educational and fun weekly grab and go packets to families.  These packets were geared for the parent and child to work together and eat together at home which helped build this quality time and interaction where the parent was the teacher and the role model.  Studies have shown links between quality parent time — such as reading to a ch

Full Story

4-H Teen Conference

Author: Lee Ann McCuiston

Major Program: Leadership

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down programming in March 2020 youth, families, and communities experienced long-term isolation and alteration of their typical lives related to in and out of school activities. Youth out-of-school time programs, such as 4-H, are essential ecological assets and their disruption during the pandemic may have a major impact on youth’s developmental pathways (Ettekal & Aganas, 2020). For many youth COVID-19 will be the defining issue of their lives

Full Story
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