Extension
It Starts With Us
Nurturing Families and Healthy Aging
Healthy Communities
Rex, Stewart
Family Development General
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. However, in the state of Kentucky on 50% of children are deemed "school-ready" when they enter Kindergarten. Gallatin County Schools have identified this as a community issue and provide preschool to all county residents regardless of need. 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. 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 a concern about life quality.
•Build personal strengths and self-control, interpersonal communication, life skills including wise decision-making.
•Embrace people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds
•Participants become volunteers to make their community a better place to live for everyone.
•Increase caregiving knowledge and quality relationships.
•Decrease in the number of falls.
*Increase the number of children who are "kindergarten ready" in the state of Kentucky
•Increase in family meal time.
•Increase communication and enhance relationships and social support.
•Practice skills to strengthen and sustain relationships
•Individuals are engaged in community outreach activities.
•Individuals change behavior to decrease risk of falling.
•Participants commits to set family rules regarding eating together, limiting screen time, active play and exercise, set routines
•Participants gain knowledge and awareness on ways to reduce falls.
•Participants gain knowledge and awareness on age-related family issues (e.g. dementia, power of attorney, living wills, failing health, dying, loss and bereavement)
Initial Outcome: Participants gain knowledge and awareness on ways to reduce falls
Indicator: Participants in a fall-prevention program
Method: End of program evaluations
Timeline: 1-2 months
Intermediate Outcome: Individuals are engaged in community outreach activities, practice skills to strengthen and sustain relationships
Indicator: Individuals have applied knowledge gained from Extension Programs to be more self-sufficient with life skills.
Method: follow up evaluations, observations
Timeline: 6 months to a year
Long-term Outcome: Families communications and relationships are strengthened. More participation in community programs as a family. Participants become volunteers to make their community a better place to live for everyone.
Indicator: Number of families continuing to participate in programs not only as a participant but actively helping and planning programs
Method: Interviews, community data and partnership evaluations
Timeline: 4-6 years
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Grand Love - Kinship care support group
Content or Curriculum: Grandparents and Grandchildren Together, Nurturing Parenting, Parenting a Second Time Around and other UK publications
Inputs: FCS and 4-H Extension Agents, Gallatin County High Family Resource Center, Kentucky CES publications and resources, Nutrition Education Program resources
Date: Ongoing support, monthly meetings 2024-25
Audience: Early Childhood/Preschool Youth
Project or Activity: Engaging head start and pre-school youth and families
Content: Laugh and Learn Playdate, LEAP, and other USDA and UK Extension Preschool Curriculums
Inputs: FCS Extension Agent, Gallatin County Lower Elementary and OVEC (Headstart)
Date: Each month throughout the school year 2024-25
Audience: 4-H Youth
Project or Activity: Sewing Club
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff, Volunteers
Date: School year 2023-2024
Audience: 4-H Youth
Project or Activity: Cake Decorating
Content or Curriculum: UK curriculum
Inputs: Extension staff, volunteers
Date: 2023-2024 school year
Audience: Gallatin County Homemakers and Community Participants
Project or Activity: Homemaker/Adult Classes of various FCS/Life Skills topics
Content or Curriculum: UK FCS Curriculum
Inputs: FCS Extension Agent
Date: Classes will be confirmed with community partners throughout the year 2024-25
Author: Ronda Rex
Major Program: Mental Health and Well-being - FCS
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “it is estimated that more than one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (59.3 million in 2022; 23.1% of the U.S. adult population). Mental illnesses include many different conditions that vary in degree of severity, ranging from mild to moderate to severe.” According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, “746,000 adults in Kentucky have a mental health condition. That’s more than 10x the po
