Stronger parenting and relationship building skills is included in the top fifteen identified issues/needs for family and individual development, from the most recent survey of Extension.  According to the 2024 Kentucky Child Fatality Review, in 2023 SUID or sudden unidentified infant death was the leading cause for infant death in Kentucky.  Annually, motor vehicle related cause of death for all children under age 18 is included in the top five causes of child deaths in Kentucky.  According to the U.S. Census, 26 % of families with related children under age 18 live below the poverty rate in Metcalfe County, and 5.6 % of our population is comprised of children under five years of age.  The Metcalfe County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension program advisory council hosts annually, a Baby Open House Safety Fair at the Extension office for families welcoming new children.  This year's 2025 Baby Safety Fair is the third successful Baby Safety Fair event since resuming the event post-pandemic, April 2023.  

Twenty six different families with pregnant mothers/infants or children under two years of age who had not previously participated, attended this event with multiple family members participating.  The event began with a presentation on car seat and booster seat safety, safe installation, common installation errors, and hazards of improper installation, including demonstrations.  Participants were then able to make appointments for assistance/review of their personal car seat installations.  This year was the first in which we successfully outreached to the local Hispanic community, with four Hispanic families participating.  All agencies were able to provide resources/information in Spanish, a Spanish translator participated with the families, and the evaluation was translated into Spanish.

Seventeen community agencies with thirty-six different agency representatives provided educational stations for families to rotate around after the car-seat safety presentation, to learn about important environmental safety, child development, parent/child bonding, safe/back to sleep/SIDS prevention, choking hazard prevention, poison safety/prevention, the public library/early literacy development/Dolly Parton Imagination Library, budgeting for your baby, how to bathe an infant, positive child guidance, green cleaning strategies/recipes for a clean home while saving money, infant/toddler feeding/childhood nutrition, breast feeding, further opportunities for free parenting support programs, Head Start/Early Head Start, local child care, the Metcalfe Co. Farmers Market WIC vouchers/kids coins programs, SNAP application, and child care assistance programs.  Every family received a large laundry basket packed full of resources donated by participating agencies, to improve home safety and the health and well being of their infant/toddler child, at the end of the event.

The following Agencies were represented: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Barren River District Health Department (WIC/Disaster Preparedness), Bowling Community Park, Community Action of Southern Kentucky, Crossroads Life Center, In-Home Childcare, Metcalfe County 911 and Emergency Response, Metcalfe County Family and Consumer Sciences and NEP Extension, Metcalfe County Farmers Market, Metcalfe County Helping Hands, Metcalfe County Public Library, Metcalfe County Schools Family Resource Youth Service Centers - Community Education - Literacy/Reading Readiness-migrant education), Passport by Molina Healthcare, Poison Control, TJ Samson Community Health.  

Post-program evaluation showed the following participant knowledge increase as a result of participating in the Baby Safety fair program: 91 % increased knowledge on ways to develop a strong parent/child bond during infancy, 91% increased on benefits of breast feeding, 96% increased on infant/toddler nutrition/feeding strategies, 87% increased on Early/Head Start and Preschool services in Metcalfe Co., 74% increased on importance of and strategies for self-care as a parent/caregiver, 87% increased on family/child development/developmental stages of a child, 74 % increased on positive child guidance and signs of abuse/neglect, 91% increased on importance of reading with your child for early literacy development, 87% enrolled in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program, 83% increased in how to safely install a car seat, 74% increased in awareness of SIDS prevention/Safe sleep environments.