Strengthening Families Plan of Work

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Grant County CES

Title:
Strengthening Families
MAP:
Enhancing Cohesion among Communities
Agents Involved:
Conkwright, Ammerman, McFarland
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Family Development General
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Faithful Families
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Cook Together, Eat Together
Situation:

Healthy couple and parenting relationships and resulting family stability benefit the well-being of adults and children. Co-habiting, same-sex, divorced, widowed and single households are the new majority. Children who live absent from their biological fathers are two to three times more likely to be poor, to experience educational, health, emotional and behavioral problems than their peers who live with their married, biological (or adoptive) parents. From Kentucky by the Numbers in 2019 13.9% of children in our community lived in poverty and that 41% pf the households in Grant County with children are single parent.  The National Institute for Health indicates that children who live in poverty are 1.3 time more likely to have learning disabilities and developmental delays. Furthermore, children who start kindergarten with delayed development and fewer assets are by far more likely to repeat grades, get tracked into lower-tier classes and drop out of high school than more advantaged children. More than half of Kentucky’s 56 judicial circuits have some form of mandated divorce education; more such education is needed. 

Long-Term Outcomes:

•Care for the physical and mental health and well-being of each individual over the long term

•Embrace people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds

•Reach out with empathy to people dealing with severe stress

•Foster the optimal development of children and youth

•Practice parental leadership skills

•Build personal strengths and self-control, interpersonal communication, life skills including wise decision-making.

•Access community resources when needed

Intermediate Outcomes:

•Set and used family rules, routines and limited screen time

•Eat family meals four or more times a week

•Reduce stress levels, made time for selves, and/or made wise decisions about money, time, etc.

•Played and spent quality time with child 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

Initial Outcomes:

•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.

•Describes child’s developmental levels relative to averages

•Verbalizes realistic behavior expectations

•Discusses discipline vs. punishment, and preventive and positive discipline techniques

•Commits to using logical consequences for misbehavior

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Knowledge Gained

Indicator: Increased knowledge in importance in nurturing parenting and family bonding

Method: Written or Oral Evaluation, Pre and Post Test

Timeline: Immediate


Intermediate Outcome: Behavior Change

Indicator: Apply learned skills to make changes to strengthen family relationships

Method: Oral and Written Evaluations, Pre and Post Tests.

Timeline: 1-3 Years


Long-term Outcome: Changes in the community involvement of Grant County residents

Indicator: Families in Grant County foster the optimal development of children and youth

Method: Noticeable changes in family relationships, and policy changes that promote healthy family relationships. 

Timeline: 10 years


Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Parents and Children

Project or Activity: Mommy and Me Activities

Content or Curriculum:  Leap 

Inputs: Agent, schools, community partners

Date: On going 


Audience: Children Ages 3-5

Project or Activity: Kindergarten Readiness 

Content or Curriculum: Laugh and Learn

Inputs: Agent, schools, community partners

Date: Year Round


Audience: Preschool Children

Project or Activity: Nutrition and Food Familiarity

Content or Curriculum: Dr. Yum: preschool food adventure

Inputs: Agents, Snap Assistant, program assistants, staff, community partners

Date: Year Round


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