The University of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension program works to improve the quality of individual and family life in the context of each Commonwealth community. FCS Extension professionals are present in all 120 counties to focus their efforts on educational skill-building to strengthen family development, economic stability and overall well-being of individuals and families. The purpose of Building Strong Families for Kentucky is twofold: 1) to share a picture of the economic and demographic characteristics of families in each county and 2) to report the response of families to relevant programs provided by local FCS agents.
The Building Strong Families for Kentucky County profiles began as an effort to give local stakeholders a snapshot of their local families and report FCS Extension outreach results. The project has evolved to provide a context for decision-making, program delivery and evaluation through the information provided annually. The demographic and community data provides a picture of the needs of families within the community that can inform future program choices and offerings. The evaluation data provided by agents provides an annual retrospective look at the strides the FCS program has made within the community and can guide future planning efforts.
The profiles include six sections: Our Focus, Our People, Spotlight, Our Families, Our Community and Our Health. The 2013 volume specifically focuses on county data that illustrate current health and family indicators. Dr. Ann Vail, Director of the School of Human Environmental Sciences, shared, "The Building Strong Families Profiles have become valuable tools for decision makers at many levels in the county, state and federal government. They illustrate the context of our Family and Consumer Sciences programming and its impact on individuals and families across Kentucky."
All 121 profiles are available online at: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/index.php?p=437. From this site, you can access the introduction and overview that provides context and explanation for the profiles, the statewide profile sharing statewide data and accomplishments, and individual profiles for each of Kentucky’s 120 counties.