Accessing Nutritious Food in Anderson County

In response to many teens' lack of basic living skills, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension provided county youth simple cooking lessons. Once a month for four months, local youth participated in the program "Kids in the Kitchen." During this time ten youth were taught how to prepare healthy meals. These meals included festive foods, breakfast foods, quick breads, and fun snacks. Participants learned to make new foods and learned important kitchen skills including how to correctly measure, how to use a knife, food safety, and nutritious meal-planning. Post test results showed that 100% of kids started helping with meals at home and even prepared what they had learned for their families. They also reported that they learned how to measure correctly and how to handle a knife.

To view the entire Building Strong Families for Anderson County profile please click here.

Nurturing Families in Allen County

In response to the recent economic recession, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension worked to address the devastating mental and emotional health pressures on individuals and families in the county. The “Blue to You” pilot curriculum was implemented with five focus groups which totaled 105 participants. 76% of men increased knowledge regarding signs and symptoms of depression, 95% now know the different types of treatment, and 78% now know how to help other men with depression. All of the women who participated became aware of depression signs and symptoms, and 90% now know where to get help for a man with depression. 88% of teen participants now know how to help another teen with depression, 86% know where to access community help, and 90% increased knowledge regarding combination therapy.

To view the entire Building Strong Families for Allen County profile please click here.

Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities in Adair County

In recognition that community infrastructures have an impact on our health, Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension implemented the “Second Sunday” event. It was designed to increase our community’s awareness about the importance of physical activity and healthy living. The FCS agent collaborated with several community leaders and partners. Over 140 people of all ages including groups of friends, neighbors, and church groups participated in walking, biking, and pushing strollers on the closed section of KY 439 and Indian Drive. The distance was about 4 miles roundtrip. 95% finished the whole walk. Participants were provided with fresh fruit and water throughout the event. One participant told us, “Wish there were more events like this with safe places to walk.”

To view the entire Building Strong Families for Adair County profile please click here.

Family and Consumer Sciences Featured Programs in Kentucky

During 2008 – 2009, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension collected detailed impact data for three specific programs. The following outcomes were documented through these programs.

• 39% of participants in “Weight – the Reality Series – Body Image” succeeded in losing 5% of their initial weight during the program.
• 75% of children who participated in “LEAP – Literacy, Eating, and Activity for Preschool” increased their level of physical activity.
• 41% of participants in “Small Steps to Health and Wealth” changed at least one behavior such as reducing calorie intake, increasing physical activity, reducing expenses, or increasing income.

To view the entire Building Strong Families for Kentucky profile please click here.

Family and consumer sciences agents to host frugal bridal program

Contributed by Katie Pratt

In the current economy, it is hard for many people to afford necessities, much less save money for additional expenses, such as weddings. To help brides-to-be discover more affordable wedding choices, family and consumer sciences agents with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service will host The Frugal Bride.

The cost-saving bridal program will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. Aug. 2 at Providence Christian Church at Brannon Crossing in Nicholasville. It is open to future brides and their fiancés, family members and wedding planners across the state.

“The main thing we want the participants to take away from this is you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a beautiful wedding. There are options,” said Tamera Thomas, Franklin County family and consumer sciences agent.

Topics on the agenda include He Said, She Said- A guide to couple’s communication, online shopping safety, money management for married couples, Legal info 101- What you need to know, and bridal beauty under $400. Three breakout sessions will include photography, bridal beauty and calligraphy. A bridal fashion show, trends for the upcoming seasons and exhibits also are planned.

“This will be different from other bridal shows in that there will be an educational component to it,” said Mary Hixson, Garrard County family and consumer sciences agent. “We hope that the information they receive helps them not only plan their wedding, but with their marriage,” said Marisa Aull, Jessamine County family and consumer sciences agent.

Agents and presenters will display store-bought and handmade wedding essentials and will compare the two, talk about the costs of each and the time required to make the handmade item. “There are many things that can be handmade including headpieces, veils, garters, ring bearer pillows, wedding favors and decorations,” Hixson said.

Attendees will be able to sample potential low-costs choices for wedding foods and drinks at the workshop, and the agents will discuss the cost, ingredients and number of servings each recipe makes. Sample place settings also will be displayed. The cost to attend is $12 per person and $20 for two people. Those who attend the calligraphy breakout session will need to add $7 per person to the registration fee. As part of the registration fee, each bride-to-be will receive a one-year membership to their county’s Extension Homemakers club and a one-year subscription to the Beautiful Bride Newsletter the agents are developing. They will also receive a goody bag and can register for door prizes at the event.

Preregistration is required and due by July 30. Interested individuals can get information from any county extension office in central Kentucky by contacting Hixson at 859-792-3026, Aull at 859-885-4811 or Thomas at 502-695-9035.

For Our Kids: The Importance of Effective and Sufficient Child Support

For Our Kids: The Importance of Effective and Sufficient Child Support

This post is related to prefiled bill BR 65 in the Kentucky Legislature

Contributed by Erik L. Carlton, M.S., Project Director—Bluegrass Healthy Marriage Initiative, University of Kentucky Department of Family Studies

1. On average, only 56% of the child support payments due to families are actually being made.
2. Child support is critical to economic stability for moderate and low income families.
3. Child support is linked to several positive outcomes for children such as cognitive development, academic achievement, and fewer behavior problems.
4. Effective child support enforcement increases child support payments and nonresidential parent involvement.

The Kentucky Division of Child Support Enforcement (CSE; Cabinet for Health and Family Services) holds that, “Every child has a legal right to financial support from both parents.” (CHFS, 2008). Yet according to data from CSE, for the past five years only an average of 56% payments due are actually made, accounting for $388 million of the $693 million in child support obligations owed each year. This varies by county, but is below the national average (60%). While the reasons for this payment shortfall are multi-faceted, it is clear that children in Kentucky are not receiving the financial child support they need. This has important implications for child well-being because:

· The number of single parent families is increasing across the nation. Single parent families experience financial hardships because welfare does not provide adequate income (Cook et al., 2008; Huang, 2005).
· Stirling and Aldrich (2008) have shown that, compared to well-being when intact, well-being for mothers and children dropped 37%, but only 16% for fathers. Additionally, 73% of low income single mothers and children live in poverty, compared to 28% of low income fathers.
· Child support is a critical source of income and economic stability for moderate- and low-income families (Center for Law & Social Policy, 2004).
· Single parent families, especially single mothers and their children experience social exclusion and societal marginalization (Cook & Marjoribanks, 2005).
· Child support is linked to several positives child outcomes such cognitive development (Argys et al., 1998), as well as academic achievement in older children and fewer behavioral problems (Knox, 1996; Graham, et al., 1994; Knox & Bane, 1994; and McLanahan et al. 1994).
· Father involvement is strongly correlated and child support payment is potentially correlated with lower food insecurity in homes of single mothers (Garasky, 2007).
· Effective child support enforcement policies and programs have been shown to significantly increase child support payments and nonresidential parent involvement (Huang, 2006)
· Regular support reduces poverty and welfare use, and increases child well-being (Turetsky, 2005).
· Because domestic violence has such serious effects on victims’ economic security and ability to provide for themselves, providing child support for victims of domestic violence is especially important in enabling victims to achieve and maintain independence from their abusive spouses/partners (Yearwood et al., 2008; McGee, 2004; Rusbult & Martz, 1995; Strube & Barbour, 1983).

With these statistics and study findings in mind, it seems important that we address ways to increase both the financial (monetary) and positive emotional (nonmonetary) involvement of parents in the lives of their children. The University of Kentucky Bluegrass Healthy Marriage Initiative (BHMI; http://www.bluegrassmarriage.org/) is currently working with CSE to encourage responsible parental involvement in the lives of children through the formation and maintenance of healthy marriages and the support of healthy co-parenting relationships.

Please contact Derek Feldman for a full list of references if interested.

Recommendations to prevent childhood obesity

Practical recommendations for policy-makers to help prevent childhood obesity

1. Increasing access to parks and recreation centers
2. Improving safety for bicyclists and pedestrians
3. Offering healthier foods in schools
4. Attracting grocery stores that provide healthy, affordable foods to lower-income communities

Childhood obesity is a serious problem facing our Kentucky counties and the entire U.S. Leadership for Healthy Communities, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has created the Action Strategies Toolkit to provide guidance to policy-makers. The toolkit offers practical examples, including increasing access to parks and recreation centers, improving safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, offering healthier foods in schools, and attracting grocery stores that provide healthy, affordable foods to lower-income communities.

Download full toolkit and executive summary at http://www.rwjf.org/childhoodobesity/product.jsp?id=42514