| Cooperative Extension |
Agiculture and Natural Resources | Family and Consumer Sciences | |
| 4-h Youth Development | Community Resources Development | Small-Scale Farm Grant Program |
Family Well-being
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Kentucky State University aims to help build strong communities. Family well-being is a crucial part of that effort. Limited-resource families face numerous challenges that affect their social health and well-being. Living in poverty is a key contributing factor that adversely impacts family well-being. Without economic security, it is difficult for all members of the family to thrive. Growing up in poverty threatens a child’s physical and mental health, social-emotional development and educational attainment, while poverty creates stress that can have an adverse influence on parenting skills and practices. These issues can be compounded by other factors, such as single parenthood or marital stress. Poverty in Kentucky by the numbers:
- 26% of Kentucky children live below the federal poverty threshold
- 41% of Kentucky children live in areas of concentrated poverty
- $12,060 is considered living in poverty by the federal government (2017)
- $24,600 for a family of four is considered living in poverty by the federal government (2017)
- 18.5% of Kentucky’s total population lived in poverty in 2015
- 17.4% of white Kentuckians lived in poverty in 2015
- 31.5% of African Americans in Kentucky lived in poverty in 2015
- 29.4% of American Indians in Kentucky lived in poverty in 2015
- 15.8% of Asians in Kentucky lived in poverty in 2015
- 31.8% of Hispanics in Kentucky lived in poverty in 2015
To improve family well-being, particularly in economically distressed communities, emphasis must be placed on educational programs focusing attention and resources on family wellness. KSU programs facilitate the development of knowledge and skills to improve family well-being of families facing poverty and others who wish to enhance their learning.