Success StoryChildcare workers continue building on their educational knowlegde



Childcare workers continue building on their educational knowlegde

Author: Dianne Hayward

Planning Unit: Cumberland County CES

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

Outcome: Initial Outcome

A lack of trained /or skilled staff for childcare assistant positions in Cumberland County, led to a shortage of qualified applicants . People were applying for the positions with very little knowledge or experience except that they were already parents of young children or emerging adults with an interest in family services employment. This led to a facility hiring these workers and partnering with the University of Kentucky extension service for training on the" healthy choices for everybody" Curriculum . while they were working. Outcomes / Impacts The program had been implemented at another facility with limited success. The facility made it voluntary to participate. The participants were given pre and post surveys. Participants were given 30 minutes of instruction at the facility and then took home a bag of education materials on different topics which covered making healthy choices on food access with diet quality, resource management , food safety, budgeting, physical activities, we included extra units on feeding young children, fussy eaters and these were all well received. One of the assistants was working and pregnant with her 2nd child and still managed to finish the program. Being motivated to improve their skills was very evident with this group of 10 participants all finished the program with 100% improvement in at least one area of the behavior classifications. The group showed 100% improvement in diet quality, and food resource management , 80% improvement in physical activity and Food Safety areas. This program is not the complete answer but it shows how we can work with people with the drive to continue to improve their knowledge and education.






Stories by Dianne Hayward


Childcare workers continue building on their educational knowlegde

about 4 months ago by Dianne Hayward

A lack of trained /or skilled staff for childcare assistant positions in Cumberland County, led to a... Read More


Summer cooking in a bag program reinvigorates cooking with low income families

about 1 years ago by Dianne Hayward

In our county there has been a usda commodity program supported by the fiscal court and operated by ... Read More


Stories by Cumberland County CES


4-H Camp: A transformative experiences for both youth and volunteers

about 3 months ago by Elijah Wilson

4-H Camp provides transformative experiences for both youth and volunteers, fostering personal growt... Read More


River Festivus: The long term impact of a 4-H Community Service Project

about 3 months ago by Elijah Wilson

What started as the result of 4-H community service has led to the largest annual event in the histo... Read More


Stories by Nutrition and Food Systems General


LaRue County Farmers Market Continues to Grow with POP Club

LaRue County Farmers Market Continues to Grow with POP Club

about 3 months ago by Marla Stillwell

With an overall food insecurity rate of 12.9% in LaRue County, the percentage of food insecurities a... Read More


Food Preservation and Safe Food Storage

Food Preservation and Safe Food Storage

about 3 months ago by Debra Hixon

July canning classThe problem: On April 20, 2023, the Calloway County Cooperative Extension Council ... Read More