Extension
It Starts With Us
Family, Community and Financial Stability
Family, Community and Economic Development
Pat Hardesty, Kara Back, Kimberly Thomas, FCS
Financial Education - General
Communications and Expressive Arts
Healthy couple and parenting relationships and family stability benefit the well-being of adults and children. According to the American Community Survey between 2009-2013 in Taylor County 29.4% of households included one or more persons age 65 and over, 343 grandparents lived with and were responsible for their own grandchildren, 59.6% of children under 6 years and 71.2% of children 6-17 years had all parents in the labor force. Of those age 5 and older 908 of those children spoke a different language other than English.
In 2013 the median household income was $36,599 compared to $43,307 for the state of Kentucky. The American Community Survey estimates, 29.2% of families with related children were below poverty, 12.4% of people age 65 and over were below poverty and 3.5% of individuals working full time were below poverty.
Taylor County has a diverse economic base including agriculture and natural resources, manufacturing, social services, Green River Lake parks and marinas, Campbellsville University, preserved historic sites, hospital .retail establishments and restaurants. However, instability in these, higher prices and a stagnate economy have stressed families. There is greatly increased use of the Food Pantry, homeless shelter, Crisis Relief, Salvation Army and government services. Individuals and families are becoming aware of their need for financial educations to live better on less.
•Care for the physical and mental health and well-being of each individual over the long term
•Build personal strengths and self-control, interpersonal communication, life skills including wise decision-making.
•Reach out with empathy to people of diverse cultural, ethnic, racial groups and those experiencing severe stress.
•Foster the optimal development of children and youth
•Practice parental leadership skills
•Access community resources when needed
•Become volunteers to make their community a better place to live for everyone.
•Decrease number of individuals with chronic disease
•Improve financial education
•Improve healthy homes and communities
•Increase estimated health savings
•Serve healthy snacks and meals
•Set and use family rules, routines and limited screen time
•Eat family meals four or more times a week
•Reduce stress levels, make time for selves, and/or make wise decisions about money, time, etc.
•Play with child(ren) daily
•Report child’s developmental progress over time
•Identify realistic expectations for child’s tasks
•Report using preventive and positive discipline techniques in response to misbehavior, and setting and enforcing logical consequences
•Practice skills to strengthen and sustain relationships
•Access community agencies when needed
•Engage in community outreach activities
•Enhance brain activity
•Create a legacy
•Work as a family unit to acknowledge and embrace aging issues
•Intends to keep healthy snacks on hand
•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(ren) 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
•Is more aware of the risks of falling
•Aware of age related family issues
Initial Outcome: People learn personally applicable strategies to improve financial fitness.
Indicator: Number of people reporting change in knowledge, opinions, skills and aspirations.
Method: Post-test
Timeline: End of program series
Intermediate Outcome: Individuals make wise financial and business decisions.
Indicator: Number of people who implement at least one financial management strategy.
Method: Follow-up self-reporting
Timeline: Annually
Long-Term Outcome: Families enjoy more financial stability from skills learned in Extension programming.
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting changes in knowledge, opinions, skills or aspirations related to economic or enterprise development.
Method: Monitoring of social economic indicators.
Audience(s) Participation:
County Agents, individuals and families, low income individuals, policy makers, current and potential program users, key stakeholders, health professionals, child care providers, minority groups, faith based organizations, KEHA, schools, professional organizations, service agencies, businesses, community coalitions and organizations and government.
Activity: Keys to Embracing Aging
Content or Curriculum: Keys to Embracing Aging
Date: July 2022-June 2023
Activity: Know the 10 Signs
Content or Curriculum: Know the 10 Signs
Date: March 2023
Activity: Estate Planning
Content or Curriculum: Estate Planning Curriculum, publications, community partners
Date: October 2022
Activity: Reality Town
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum
Date: March 2023
Activity: Financial Literacy
Content or Curriculum: Building a Healthy, Wealthy Future, 4-H Dollars and Sense, Reality Store Curriculum, High School Financial Planning
Date: March 2023
Activity: Beginning Sewing, Needlework Nights
Content or Curriculum: Master Clothing Volunteers, 4-H sewing curriculum
Date: July and October 2022, 2023
Activity: Investigating Alternative Energy Sources for the Farm and Home
Content or Curriculum: Environmental Sustainability and Responsibility Curriculum, eXtension content
Date: April 2023
Activity: Transitioning Businesses to the Next Generation
Content or Curriculum: Financial planning curriculum, living with loss content
Date: November 2022
Author: Patrick Hardesty
Major Program: Financial Education - General
Because Americans lose billions of dollars to fraud, the Taylor County Extension Council charged the Extension Agents with conducting a Fraud Awareness educational activity. A representative from the FBI Fraud Task Force presented to approximately 90 people the most common types of fraud tactics, red flags, how to protect themselves and how to report fraud. According to the show of hands, approximately 15% of participants had been scammed. Several commented on how helpful and inf
Author: Patrick Hardesty
Major Program: Recovering Your Finances
A Farm Transition Meeting was held because of discussion in the Taylor County Extension Council Meeting on transitioning farmland and other assets to the next generation. Approximately 90 participants learned how to identify needs and goals, how to communicate to heirs, who to include in the succession plan, asset-based considerations and farm succession resources. As a result of the meeting, a participant stated that after meeting with the financial advisor, he and his son saved over
