Extension
It Starts With Us
Fostering a holistic approach to family and self-care and recovery.
Encouraging Family/Self Care and Recovery
Tiffany Bolinger, Matt Futtrell, Jeremiah Johnson, Mary Anne Garnett, Katie Mills
Family Development General
Family and Consumer Science
Financial Education - General
Substance Use Recovery - FCS
Family and Self Care are imperative to the health and well-being of adults and children throughout all life stages. This is especially true during times of high stress and uncertainty. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has placed a heightened level of stress on families and individuals mental, physical, and financial health and well-being. While the full of extent of COVID-19’s impact remains unknown, the awareness that it has and will continue to affect our communities is very clear. Education and programming focusing on a holistic approach to family/self-care will help to ensure that the unknown as well as the researched issues are all addressed to the best of our ability.
“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.
The recent statewide needs assessment identified substance use prevention and recovery as the most urgent priority for Cooperative Extension. Moreover, substance use was the focal point of the CES Advisory Council Meeting in early 2019. Taken together, youth KIP survey data and data from the CES needs assessment demonstrate the need to address substance use prevention, recovery, stigma, and impact on families and communities.
Promote 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. 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.
- Increase the number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in the state of Kentucky.
- Improve academic success for children in Kentucky
- The prevention and/or reduction of substance use and its related consequences.
- Changed public perception of substance use/mental health illnesses via stigma reduction.
- 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.
- Increase opportunities and access to more preschool learning activities outside of the home
- Increase number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in Christian county
- 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
- Reduced substance use/mental health stigma from local community members
- Increased Opioid Stewardship (less rx’ing by doctors, appropriate Rx disposal, drug takebacks, etc.)
- Delayed age of first use among Kentucky youth
- Practice one or more resource management behaviors resulting in increased savings or investments.
- Adopt financial planning strategies for short-, mid-, and long-term goals
•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 daily; teach responsibility in use of money, time, etc.
- 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
- Increased knowledge of substance use prevention, addiction, and recovery (or related subject matter)
- Increased ability to use destigmatized language
- Improved social skills and/or self-efficacy in KY youth
- Increased knowledge and skills related to managing financial resources, including savings, credit, and financial planning.
- Change knowledge, opinions, skills, and aspirations, to improve employability through work and practical living skills and continuing education practices.
- Increase financial literacy (knowledge and skills) related to savings and investments.
Intermediate Outcome: Improved Quality of Personal Relationships/Communication
Indicator: Relationship Smarts
Method: post-evaluation
Timeline: Fall-Winter 2024-2025
Initial Outcome: Increased knowledge and awareness of the risks and consequences related to drugs and substance abuse in both teens and their families
Indicator:Truth & Consequences
Method:post-evaluation
Timeline: Spring 2025
Intermediate Outcome: Youth will be able to apply budgeting practices in their life outside of a school setting
Indicator: It's Your Reality
Method:post-evaluation
Timeline: Spring 2025
Initial Outcome: Youth will gain increased knowledge on budgeting skills and practices
Indicator: Dollar & Sense
Method: Post-Evaluation
Timeline: Fall 2024
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: LEAP Evaluation
Timeline: School Year
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: Summer Camps, School Breaks
Outcome: Increase number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in Christian 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: Increased knowledge of substance use
Indicator: Number of individuals attending programs
Method: Retroactive pre-post
Timeline: Following every addiction 101 training
Outcome: Increased ability to use destigmatized language
Indicator: Number of individuals intend to change behavior
Method: Retroactive pre-post
Timeline: Following any program that includes language training
Outcome: Increased awareness of sound financial behaviors
Indicator(s): Number of individuals who implemented at least one
strategy to reduce expenses or manage money
Number of individuals who made a sound financial decision
(regarding credit, budgeting, savings, and/or debt)
Method: Retroactive pre-post
Timeline: Following financial education workshops
Outcome: Increase knowledge and skills related to
managing financial resources
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting increased levels of
understanding in the area: confidence in handling money issues
or specific financial matters
Method: Retroactive pre-post
Timeline: Following financial education workshops
Audience: Adults, Teens
Project or Activity: Healthy Relationships Classes
Content or Curriculum: Relationship Smarts
Inputs: Extension Agent; curriculum materials
Date: Winter/Spring 2024/2025
Audience: Parents, Grandparents, Guardians
Project or Activity: Relatives As Parents
Content or Curriculum: PASTA
Inputs: Extension Agent; Curriculum Training/materials
Date: Spring/Summer 2025
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Money Sense for Women
Content or Curriculum: Day-long seminar, guest speakers, panels
Inputs: local resources, Community Agencies that serve on committee, Extension Agent, facilities
Date: August 2024
Audience: High School Seniors
Project or Activity: Money Sense for Graduates
Content or Curriculum: Day-long financial education seminar
Inputs: local resources, Community Agencies that serve on committee, Extension Agent, guest speakers, facilities
Date: March 2025
Audience: Middle School 8th Graders
Project or Activity: Truth & Consequences
Content or Curriculum: Experiential Activity on Consequences of Drug Use
Inputs: Extension Agents, curriculum materials, Community Partners, School facilities/staff
Date: Spring 2025
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Keys to Aging
Content or Curriculum: Aging classes
Inputs: Extension Agent, curriculum materials, facilities
Date: Summer-Fall 2025
Audience: Youth in Christian County and Ft. Campbell
Project or Activity: Its Your Reality-Reality Store
Content or Curriculum: It's Your Reality/ Dollar & Sense
Inputs: Extension Agents, Community Volunteers, Chamber of Commerce, Christian County and Ft. Campbell public high school, Hopkinsville Community College
Date: Spring 2025
Audience: Parents of Preschoolers
Project or Activity: Preschool Pages
Content or Curriculum: newsletter
Inputs: UK extension resources, FCS agents of district 7
Date: All year
Audience: Middle School Students
Project or Activity: Dollars and Sense
Content or Curriculum: It's Your Reality/Dollar & Sense
Inputs: Extension Agents, Christian County Public Schools, 4-H Teen Leaders and Volunteers, Military Volunteers
Date: Fall 2024/Spring 2025
Audience: Homemaker Members, General Public
Project or Activity: Leader Trainings, Workshops, Seminars
Content or Curriculum: Emergency Preparedness; Stress Eating Entertaining Little Ones, Elements & Principles of Art
Inputs: Specialist Support, Extension Homemaker resources, other university extension resources, eXtension resources
Date: August - May
Audience: Preschool Students and Families
Project or Activity: LEAP
Content or Curriculum: Kindergarten readiness and physical activity
Inputs: FCS Agent; supplies
Date: School Year
Audience: Recovery Centers
Project or Activity: Financial Education
Content or Curriculum: Recovering Your Finances
Inputs: Coordination with community stakeholders
Date: Fall 2024- Fall 2025
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Family Grab Bags
Content or Curriculum: various publications and curriculum
Inputs: agents, publications, printing, community partnerships
Date: Year round/ special events
