Extension
It Starts With Us
Strengthening Families
Enhancing Cohesion among Communities
Conkwright, Ammerman, McFarland
Family Development General
Faithful Families
Cook Together, Eat Together
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.
•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
•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
•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
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
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
