Livingston County CES

Title:

Building financial security through wise consumer decision-making and money management practices.

MAP:

Family and Individual Financial Security

Agents Involved:

FCS, 4-H, ANR, and EFNEP/Program Assistant

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Home & Consumer Horticulture

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Securing Financial Stability (general)

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Estate Planning

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum

Situation:

Families must work hard to secure and manage their money to be able to provide for themselves and their families the basic human needs of food, clothing, and shelter. Increasing buying power, avoiding pitfalls of overextended credit, and wise consumer decision-making lead to better buying, budgeting, saving, and investment decisions.

Kentucky consistently lags behind other areas of the United States in household income indicators, including personal income, population living below the poverty line, unemployment and revolving debt loads. Although Livingston County's medium income is above many parts of the state, there are still many pockets of poverty. Livingston County's schools are all eligible for free and reduced lunches due to poverty and parents' inability to cover the cost for multiple children in many households. Our local food pantry services 350+ families as a result of consistent, low household income averages. Extension Advisory Councils have recognized a need to help educate residents about smart money handling, budgeting, and estate planning basics.

Long-Term Outcomes:

(A) Individuals and families will demonstrate financial literacy and sound basic financial practices to create budgets, pay off debt, and increase savings.
(B) Teens and young adults will improve financial literacy and appraise workforce preparedness.
(C) Increase in the number of clientele reporting improved privacy/security measures and reduction in reports of financial fraudulent matters across the state.
(D) Number of clientele reporting improved family financial stability and economic well-being; decrease in use of local food pantry and Christmas for Kids eligibility.
(E) Median household income will increase on census data.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Adopt privacy protection measures; annual, semi-annual, or quarterly credit-checking practices; and better recognition of fraudulent attempts from outside sources.

Improve employability through practical living skills and continued education practices.

Demonstrate practical living skills related to economic or enterprise development, as well as seeking to ascertain advanced education credentials.

Practice one or more resource management behaviors resulting in increased savings or investments. Be able to assess debts, assets, and execute a monthly budget.

Initial Outcomes:

Teenagers and adults will show increased knowledge and skills related to managing available financial and non-financial resources. Participants will increase understanding of their consumer rights and privacy protection measures. Clientele will show initial change in knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes about money; pertaining to savings, paying down debt, and working on a monthly budget. Increase financial literacy related to spending, savings and investments.

Evaluation:

Long-Term Outcome: Increased number of clientele reporting improved family financial stability, household income, and economic well-being, resulting in improved quality of life and stronger families.
Indicator: County Economic Statistics
Method: County Data Profiles, Census data, program evaluations/follow-ups from agents,and Kids Count reporting
Timeline: four year period

Intermediate Outcome: Practice one or more resource management behaviors resulting in increased savings and/or investments.
Indicator: reporting by residents and youth participating in Extension Programs
Method: focus groups, evaluations, and surveys to clientele
Timeline: 2 year period

Initial Outcome: Individuals and families will increase their knowledge of money handling, savings, budgeting, and estate planning
Indicator: numbers of people participating in Extension Financial Management Programs
Method: Meeting statistics/evaluations
Timeline: Before and after classes/programs.

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: 7th grade at Livingston County Middle School

Project or Activity: Reality Store

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Dollars & Sense and It's Youth Reality Curriculum

Inputs: 4-H, FCS, EFNEP, ANR

Date: Spring

Audience: General Audience and Audubon Day Care Parents

Project or Activity: Stretching Your Holiday Dollar program

Content or Curriculum: Stretching Your Holiday Dollar curriculum from KSU

Inputs: FCS, EFNEP, Homemaker Leaders

Date: November or December 2017, 2018, 2019

Audience: Students and Adults interested in beginning to save money

Project or Activity: Kentucky Saves/Kentucky Saves Piggy Bank Contest

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Saves

Inputs: FCS, 4-H, EFNEP

Date: February

Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Moneywi$e bulletins through social marketing via Facebook and Web Page

Content or Curriculum: Moneywi$e

Inputs: FCS, 4-H, ANR

Date: Quarterly

Audience: Homemakers, general public, high schoolers

Project or Activity: 'Where Does Your Money Go' curriculum

Content or Curriculum: FCS

Inputs: FCS, Program Asst

Date: 2017

Audience: Youth 4th-7th grade

Project: Needs Vs. Wants, How Much Do I Cost?, Budgeting, Goal setting

Content or Curriculum: Dollars & Sense / It's Your Reality

Inputs: 4-H

Dates: April each year

Audience: Low Income Families with Young Children

Project: Gardening on a Budget

Content: Extension Publications, and SNAP-ED materials

Inputs: ANR,FCS,and EFNEP

Dates: Spring of each year 2016-2020

Audience: Families and adult general audiences

Project: Estate Planning

Content or Curriculum: Estate Planning Series/Extension publications developed by Jennfier Hunter

Inputs: FCS

Dates: 2016, 2018, 2019

Success Stories