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:

Essential Skill Development

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

- Improve child’s gross motor skills

- Improve child’s early literacy skills including phonological awareness, print awareness, and vocabulary

- 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:

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: Fall 2020

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Learning Opportunities:

Workshops for parents of preschool children

 Curriculum: Laugh and Learn Play Dates 

Programs Date: Fall 2020

 Audience: preteens/ teens  ( Middle School FCS students)

Curriculum: Good Credit Game Inputs: FCS Agent,

 curriculum publications and resources, Good Credit Game set Date: 

Audience: Elementary students 3rd grade - 8th grade

Project or Activity: Afterschool 4-H projects 

Content or Curriculum: 4-H sewing curriculum

Inputs  :FCS agent and volunteers

Date:Fall 2020

Success Stories