2002-2003 HES Extension
Campus Annual Report
http://outreach.missouri.edu/hes/
Jo Britt-Rankin, MS, PhD., Interim Associate Dean
College of Human Environmental Sciences
University of Missouri
Brag Items

This year the second "Report on the State of Missouri Families" highlighting the
needs of Missouri families was released. This report included a website,
statewide brochure, a fact sheet for every Missouri county, news releases, and
county-specific PowerPoint presentations.

In an effort to extend the reach of our programs to more people, the
MissouriFamilies website was created. At present, this website includes answers
to over 1,000 questions about health, human development, nutrition, fitness,
housing and personal finance. Findings from Internet search engines indicate that
online readers regularly seek our information about nutrition and divorce.
Currently, the website is accessed once every minute.

The Building Strong Families Program continued collaboration with
internationally known family strengths researchers at the University of Nebraska.
We have 42 Nebraska Extension specialists and community partners as
facilitators. The Building Strong Families program design team has certified 350
Extension specialists and paraprofessionals and community agency staff to offer
the program statewide. This group has taught 3,246 (1,165 this year) individuals.

After presenting the Life in the State of Poverty Welfare Simulation to 60 school
nurses and counselors, we received requests for four additional simulations in
different areas of Missouri. We provided eight simulations during the past year
involving some 96 volunteers and reaching 420 participants.

The High School Financial Planning Program is a curriculum targeted at high
school students that teaches financial planning basics. In the 2002-2003 school
year, teachers/volunteer leaders in 136 schools taught 6,755 youth. Over 325
teachers and counselors were provided information and resources at the Annual
Missouri Association for Career and Technical Education Conference in July
2002.

In 2003, almost 2,803 people have requested home ownership information
through the Missouri Housing Partners Initiative (MHP). One of the current
objectives of MHP is to provide significantly enhanced program access by going
online.

Web-based learning has been a central theme in the work of the Missouri Textile
and Apparel Center as they expanded their online outreach resources to textile
manufacturers across the mid-west.

The Focus On Kids program is taught to divorcing parents in cooperation with the
local circuit courts. Twenty-three extension regional specialists are currently
teaching FOK in 30 Missouri counties. During the last year, there were over
3,000 participants. Most of the FOK participants indicated that they planned to
make a stronger effort to work with their former spouses for the sake of the
children, as a result of attending the program.

Child care providers are the critical link between program quality and children’s
experiences. Unfortunately, the field is plagued by alarmingly high rates of
turnover. Missouri is pilot-testing a workforce development initiative (WIN) that
pays bi-annual cash incentives to child care providers based on their educational
attainment, ongoing professional development, and continued employment in the
same early childhood program. To date, 767 early childhood professionals from
child care centers and family child care homes in select rural, urban, and suburban
counties are participating in the incentive program. Ultimately, we hope to
improve children’s child care experiences by strengthening the provider
workforce.

In 2002, professionals from across the nation were trained to address violence in
the lives of girls and young women during a national satellite downlink.
Materials from this program have been distributed to 26 states.

Family Nutrition is a statewide nutrition education program bringing the latest
research-based information to low-income Missourians. Over 120
paraprofessional educators work with clients individually and in small groups—in
their homes, in schools and at agencies. About 150,000 Missourians learned ways
to prevent heart disease and cancer through nutrition and fitness.

Body Walk is a fun, interactive program that teaches K-4th graders about nutrition
and health. Over 46,124 elementary students in 169 schools participated in this
program during the year. The program also engaged 2,915 teachers and 3,415
volunteers.
Mission Statement
Human Environmental Sciences (HES) Extension conducts educational programs in
support of the social, physical, environmental and financial well being of Missouri
citizens. In cooperation with our college’s academic departments, HES Extension creates
research-based programs that are designed to meet the needs identified by Missouri
residents. These programs consider the special needs of rural, suburban, and urban
populations in their own environments.
Values upon which we base our mission:
Human: Our work is people centered. Through education we reach out to diverse
individuals and families across the lifespan. Emphasis is placed on programs for
vulnerable populations to help them improve their life quality.
Environmental: Our goal is to improve the quality of life for people in the
environments in which they live, work, learn and relax.
Sciences: Our profession is based upon social and natural sciences. We provide
unbiased, research-based information and access to the knowledge base of the University
of Missouri System and Lincoln University.
Executive Summary
The University of Missouri Human Environmental Sciences program is committed to
creating educational programs to improve the lives of Missouri families. Faculty address
needs in the areas of Consumer and Family Economics, Housing and Environmental
Design, Human Development and Family Studies, Nutritional Sciences, and Textile and
Apparel Management.
Faculty from the four University of Missouri campuses as well as regional HES Outreach
and Extension specialists are committed to developing educational opportunities that best
meet the audience needs. Whether face-to-face, on the web, via interactive television, or
using media, HES programs are available when and where the audience is. This year
specialists were able to make over 800,000 educational contacts. This includes
approximately 50,000 children who participated in the Body Walk Program, over
150,000 persons who participated in the Family Nutrition Education Program, 3,000
divorcing parents who participated in the Focus on Kids Program. An additional 500,000
(over 1,400/day) visited the MissouriFamilies website which provides research-based
information and education 24 hours per day.
HES faculty collaborate extensively with local, state, and national partners to provide
seamless educational opportunities to Missouri families. Our faculty are dedicated to
“improving the lives of all Missourians.”
Consumer and Family Economics (CFE)
http://outreach.missouri.edu/hes/money.htm
Joyce Cavanagh, Assistant Professor and State Specialist (7/02 through 2/03)
Suzi McGarvey, Extension Associate
Brenda Procter, Associate State Specialist and Instructor
Lucy Schrader, Extension Associate
Robert Weagley, Department Chair
Mission Statement
The mission of Consumer and Family Economics Extension is “improving people’s
financial lives and teaching families to identify and build on strengths.”
Trends

A survey sponsored by the Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy shows
that in 2002, on average 12th graders earned a failing grade in personal financial
literacy. Only 50.2% of personal finance questions were answered correctly, down
from 51.9% in the 2000 survey and 57.3% in 1997.

According to the 2002 Retirement Confidence Survey, the number of workers
surveyed who report they have begun to save for retirement has decreased from the
2001 survey – 32% in 2002 vs. 39% in 2001. Almost half of workers report
retirement savings of less than $50,000.

From 1996-2002, according to the Missouri State Auditor’s office, Missouri collected
no more than 20% of the child support owed to 538,000 families. Over $1 billion in
child support payments are owed to Missouri’s children’s and over $84 billion are
owed nationally.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that the cost of raising a child to age 17
was $173,880 in 2002 (for middle income families).

In 2000, 11.7% of Missourians (637,891 individuals) lived below the official poverty
line.
Program Highlights
The Building Strong Families Program continued collaboration with internationally
known family strengths researchers at the University of Nebraska. We co-presented a
Building Strong Families session at the Children, Youth and Families At Risk
Conference in May 2003. We continue to train facilitators in Missouri and Nebraska.
We provided five customized trainings this past year, adding 69 facilitators to our ranks.
We provided eight Life in the State of Poverty Welfare Simulations during the past year
involving some 96 volunteers and reaching 420 participants.
High School Financial Planning Program
Program Description: The High School Financial Planning Program is a curriculum
targeted at high school students that teaches financial planning basics. The program is
sponsored by the Cooperative Extension System and provided by the National
Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE). Teachers/volunteer leaders receive the
curriculum and student workbooks at no charge from NEFE. State and Regional
Consumer and Family Economics Specialists market the program to high school teachers
in family and consumer sciences, math, economics, social studies, and government and to
youth groups.
Impact/Evaluation: In the 2002-2003 fiscal year, teachers/volunteer leaders in 136
schools/programs were utilizing the curriculum reaching 6755 youth.
Money Action Plan
Program Description: Money Action Plan (M.A.P.) is a seven-module curriculum
focusing on the basic practices and skills important to sound family financial
management. This train-the-trainer curriculum is directed to social service agency
personnel and other helping professionals who regularly work with low-income
households and households with limited financial experience. These professionals have
regular contact with the target audience, but often lack training in basic financial
management practices and skills to be of real help to their clients on financial matters.
This curriculum covers not only the necessary financial background for these
professionals to work effectively with their clients on financial matters, but also provides
training on the skills important to financial counseling and teaching in small groups.
Impact/Evaluation: This curriculum was revised and expanded (from five modules to
seven) in 2000-2001 and was updated in 2002. In August 2002, 40 facilitators were
trained to use the updated curriculum.
Building Strong Families: Challenges and Choices
Program Description: Building Strong Families: Challenges and Choices draws from an
interactive, 13-module curriculum to provide a series of life skills workshops for working
families with dependents. Individual groups can customize the multi-session program by
choosing from the following topics: Family Strengths, Communicating, Managing
Stress, Child Self-Care, Food and Fitness, Working, Setting Goals, Positive Discipline,
Money Matters, Balancing Responsibilities, Consumer Beware, Healthy House, and Kids
& Self-Esteem.
Impact/Evaluation: The Building Strong Families program design team has certified 350
Extension specialists and paraprofessionals and community agency staff to offer the
program statewide. To date, 3,246 (1,165 this year) individuals have participated in the
program.
Short-term outcomes: Overall, 95% of participants who complete end-of-session
evaluation forms after each workshop session state that they have gained new information
or learned a new skill. Seventy-five percent say they will try the new skill or use the
information with their families.
Sample Long-term Impact from a Building Strong Families Series in 2002: After
attending a series of Building Strong Families sessions, several people reported that they
have used the information from the program to help strengthen their families and to
increase the time they spend with their children.
From the Money Matters session, participants noted that they have discussed goals with
their families, have a better understanding of where their money goes every month, and
developed a spending plan and followed it for a month.
Many participants reported that after attending the program, they now spend more quality
time with their children, use better communication skills with their children, and
understand the communication process better.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program
Program Description: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) volunteers provide free
tax assistance to low income, elderly, English as a second language, and disabled
taxpayers. Volunteers are trained by the IRS and must pass a qualifying exam. CFE
specialists worked with the local IRS coordinator to identify potential volunteers and
sites. Joyce Cavanagh set up a site at the University of Missouri Office for Financial
Success.
Information about VITA was distributed through the Missouri Families website which
receives two visits per minute. A total of 105 tax returns were prepared. Eighteen taxpayers qualified for Earned Income Tax Credits totaling $17,699.
Partnerships
4-H, Caring Communities, Child Care Providers, Columbia College, Community Action
Agencies, Consumer Debt Counseling, Corrections Facilities, Department of Elementary
and Secondary Education, Department of Health, Division of Family Services, Domestic
Violence Shelters, Faith Groups, Financial Services Industry, Grass Roots Organizing
(GRO), Head Start, Homeless Shelters, Internal Revenue Service, Lincoln University,
Missouri Association for Social Welfare, Missouri Association for Community Action
(MACA), Missouri Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (MCBPP), National
Endowment for Financial Education, National Welfare Law Center, Probation and
Parole, Public Schools, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Case Histories and Testimonials
Impact Statements from a Building Strong Families Facilitator
Good Samaritan Center for the Homeless—A facilitator reported that they have 30
families signed up to come to classes once a month. They have about 20-25 coming on a
regular basis. During one of the Building Strong Families workshops, participants started
asking each other questions about their children. Participants were reminding some of
the other mothers what they could do to best support their children. They were using the
program information to help each other look at their lives in different ways and to
improve their relationships with their kids.
A facilitator reported that after a communication class ended, the presenters could not get
participants to leave. About 8-10 of them stayed in class and kept talking about what
they had done in the session and about how they were going to use the skills. The
presenters needed to leave, but were impressed that the participants wanted to stay and
keep working.
Recognition
Brenda Procter, Grass Roots Organizing Recognition Award 03
Lucy Schrader, Grass Roots Organizing Recognition Award 03
External Leadership Roles and Memberships
Joyce Cavanagh
American Council on Consumer Interests
Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education
Member, Consumer Debt Counseling Advisory Board
President, Phi Upsilon Omicron Rho Alumni Chapter
Suzi McGarvey
Interim High School Financial Planning Program Coordinator
Brenda Procter
Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education
Grass Roots Organizing (GRO) Board of Directors, Chair
McNair Scholars Committee
System Extension Diversity Task Force
Lucy Schrader
Campus Institutional Review Board
Children Youth and Families At Risk Annual Conference Presentation, May 03
Head Start Conference Presentation, February 03
Faculty Publications
Procter, B. Poverty At Issue, A Newsletter for Individuals Concerned About
Poverty in Missouri.
Procter, B., McGarvey, S. and Colleagues (2002-2003). Financial and Consumer
educational materials for Missouri Families website.
Schrader, L., Procter B. & Colleagues. (2002-2003). Building Strong Families
Curriculum. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri-Columbia.
Environmental Design (EDn)
http://outreach.missouri.edu/edninfo/
Ronald G. Phillips, State Extension Specialist and Associate Professor
Michael Goldschmidt, Housing and Environmental Design Extension
Specialist/Assistant Professor
Bobbi J. Hauptmann, Extension Assistant
Ruth Brent Tofle, Department Chair
Trends

Indoor air quality and toxic homes are still important health issues this year in
Missouri. Due to changes in work and lifestyle patterns, most people in the US spend
at least 90 percent of their times indoors. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) reports a growing body of scientific evidence showing indoor air might be
more seriously polluted than outdoor air. Children in Missouri are also at high risk of
lead poisoning. The US EPA ranks Missouri 9th among all states for lead-based risks
for children. There is need for education to develop awareness of indoor air pollution
and preventative strategies to reduce risks associated with indoor air and other home
contamination.

The national homeownership rate in 2000 was 66.2 percent with Missouri showing a
slightly higher rate. The 2000 census data indicates that homeownership rates may be
increasing, but over 14 million households in the US are seriously cost-burdened and
pay over 50 percent of their income for rent and utilities. In many rural areas of
Missouri, a majority of available housing (for ownership or rental) is 40 years or
older. An average of 200 dollars per month is spent on weatherization and repairs to
maintain adequate livable conditions in these homes. In Missouri, an average of 18
percent of households are considered cost burdened .

Minority homeownership is in the rise and they will grow even more important to the
housing market in the next 10 years, accounting for an estimated two-thirds of net
new households. Reaching out to these markets is vital to the goals of promoting
homeownership and reducing the number of cost-burdened and inadequately housed
people in the United States. There is a need for homebuyer education programs that
reach a diverse group of audiences.

Housing Assistance Council report on the state of housing in rural areas show that
there is a shortage of quality affordable housing in rural areas. Two-thirds of the poor
quality housing in the country is in the rural areas. Thus, there is need for
programming that addresses quality affordable housing development in the non-urban
areas.
Program Highlights
Reaching Underserved Audiences
Program Description: Clients of the Greater Kansas City Housing Information Center are
more aware of the resources available through University of Missouri Outreach and
Extension because of the involvement of the housing specialist with the Greater Kansas
City Housing Information Center (HIC). Serving on the board of directors since 1996,
the housing and environmental design specialist has provided the employees and clients
of HIC with educational resources focused on specific information pertinent to poverty
stricken households.
The Housing Information Center is located in the heart of the inner city of Kansas City.
The center has been in operation since 1970. Its primary purpose is to assist low-income
individuals and families of all ethnic groups in meeting their housing needs. Their
services include housing counseling services, consumer education, and referral services.
In 1985, the Center expanded its program to include serving the Kansas City homeless
population; and for people living with HIV and their families. Many of the clients of
HIC have been referred to the agency through other agencies and networks knowing that
often HIC will have the contacts necessary for housing placement. Many of the clients
served are facing homelessness.
Impact/Evaluation: Working with the Housing Information Center has provided unique
opportunities to reach clientele that generally do not access University of Missouri
Outreach and Extension resources. In 2002, HIC served over 2000 of the poorest
households in the greater Kansas City area on a comprehensive basis with financial and
counseling services. In addition, HIC provided information, referral services and other
program delivery to over 18,000 clients in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.
Educational resources through University of Missouri Outreach and Extension were made
available for use with these individuals and families.
Most families and individuals served by the center are facing extreme financial hardships
and are seeking funding and informational resources to secure housing. Comprehensive
housing counseling, emergency assistance and home sharing provide some alternatives
for these individuals and families. Reaching these households with viable options can
often avoid homelessness. Supporting the HIC staff with useful information is vital to
the success of the Center’s outreach.
Environmental Health - Healthy Indoor Air for America’s Homes
Program Description: This program is a national effort to raise citizen awareness about
indoor air pollutants and teach them preventative strategies to improve the air in their
homes. The topics covered by this program include mold and mildew (and other
biological pollutants), carbon monoxide (and combustion pollutants), lead, radon,
asbestos, volatile organic compounds, household hazardous products, secondhand smoke
and asthma. People learn about sources of pollution in the home, health risks and control
measures through this program. USDA CRSEES and US EPA fund this project.
Impact/Evaluation: Extension IAQ programs help consumers improve the quality of the
air in their home. Information provided during educational programs helps people to
identify common indoor air pollutants, how they get into the home, their potential effect
on the family’s health, and steps to take to control or eliminate the hazards.
Three group sessions reached 21 individuals. Additional information was provided via
displays, the media and individual contacts. Participants who attended the training on
“Protect Yourself from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning” reported installing a carbon
monoxide alarm because of attending the training.
The participants in the training on Secondhand Smoke completing evaluations at the end
of the workshop indicated that because of attending the session, they could identify the
health risks of children exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke. They also reported they
learned ways to reduce children’s exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke.
The participants who attended training on “Radon in the Home” reported they had tested
their home for radon because of attending the training.
Forty-five fifth grade students participated in an essay contest on clean indoor air
sponsored by the Smoke Free Air for Everyone (SAFE) coalition. The winning essays
were published in the local newspaper and essays were posted in participating smoke-free
restaurants.
Responses to follow-up evaluations indicated that the participants in indoor air quality
training sessions have taken one or more of the following actions to improve the air
quality in their home: took steps to control humidity levels; detected and removed mold,
mildew and other biological hazards; improved/corrected moisture levels; installed a
carbon monoxide detector; tested for radon; and selected and used household products
and home pesticides more wisely. One hundred percent of those responding made at
least one change to improve the air quality in their home.
Rent Smart
Program Description: Forty-nine agency administrators, caseworkers and landlords from
Kansas City, Independence, and Excelsior Springs and sixty-six people in the Green Hills
area participated in the Rent Smart train-the-trainer program. The program was targeted
to agencies and organizations that serve low-income clients in metropolitan Kansas City
and Green Hills areas.
Much of the housing stock available to low income renters is sub-standard with lead
contamination and other indoor air quality concerns frequently detected. Inadequate
housing has a detrimental effect on the individual household through increased health and
safety risks and higher energy costs. Another issue many low-income families face is
overcrowding with several families living in one unit. These conditions lead to serious
family conflicts and stresses.
Affordable housing is essential to the growth and stability of a community as well as a
basic need of families and individuals. For many families and individuals, finding and
obtaining safe, secure and affordable housing is one of their most difficult challenges.
The Rent-Smart program was designed to assist individuals who are likely to have
difficulty obtaining rental housing. This difficulty may arise from lack of experience,
stigma from previous residency in public housing, poor rental history, poor credit history,
discrimination, and other issues that cause potential landlords to perceive them as highrisk tenants.
Participants learned the basics of budgeting, the rental application process, the legal
aspects of renting a Missouri property, and fair housing rights. The participants also
learned strategies for accessing community resources in apartment searches, and how
to maintain positive landlord-tenant relationships. They also learned about lead
contamination and other indoor air quality hazards and how to keep a home clean
and safe in an economical way.
Each participant received a comprehensive package of resources that were
specifically selected for the end users, the clients. As many resources as possible
were made available in English and Spanish. Many of the resources were purchased
for the caseworkers and landlords to utilize as educational references as well as for
some distribution. Much of the information was developed for easy duplication by
agencies, as materials are needed in the future. A video entitled “Basic Skills: A
Clean and Healthy Home” was made available to checkout and for purchase by the
agencies.
Impact/Evaluation: Most of the participants completed written evaluations following the
conclusion of the program. Evaluations indicated the participants were extremely pleased
with the quality, content, and educational resources received through the program. The
participants reported they expect to share the workshop information with a minimum of
3800 clients in the next twelve months. Through the evaluation, every program topic
covered during the Rent Smart Seminar was identified by the participants as essential in
their work with low income and Latino clients. When asked specifically what were the
most helpful topics covered, the following responses were reported:
* how to assist clients in cleaning-up credit problems
* Missouri Landlord-Tenant Laws
* landlord/tenant rights and responsibilities
* credit reports and budgeting basics
* fair housing issues and dispute strategies
* renters insurance
* rental application process
* lease agreement information
* legal aspects of renting
* how to handle evictions
* home cleaning strategies
* indoor air quality information
* lead contamination information
* home safety information
* the contact information to community resources
A train-the-trainer model was utilized to implement the Rent Smart program
initiative to targeted communities. Collaboration with established agencies and
organizations serving low income and Latino communities was essential in
delivering the program. Landlords serving specific geographic communities were
encouraged to participate in the training program.
County Weatherization and Maintenance Programs
Program Description: This program involves various ways to weatherize and also do
simple repairs to a home. It was originally developed and implemented several years ago
to be presented to clients of the Green Hills Community Action Agency offices. It has
also been an integral part of housing education programs in the Northwest Missouri
Region for Outreach and Extension. The program is also a requirement for utility service
clients to receive help with their utility bills over the winter. Many of these residents are
low income, and of various family types, such as single mother, elderly/single, etc.
Impact/Evaluation: 150 people participated in this program in Atchison, Holt, Nodaway,
Gentry, and Worth Counties and 135 participated in Linn, Sullivan, Putnam Grundy,
Caldwell, Daviess, Harrison, Livingston, and Mercer counties.
The lessons are educational, hands-on, informal, and two-way in communication. A
packet of information is given to all participants containing guide sheets with many
illustrations for weatherizing various parts of the home; hands-on examples of tools,
weather-stripping, caulk, etc. A walk through of the interior of the building then around
the outside of the building is done at the beginning of the program, pointing out what to
look for on and around doors, windows, and foundations.
Homebuyer Education - HomeWorks: Maintaining Your Housing Investment,
Missouri Housing Partners Initiative (MHP)
Program Description: Post-purchase education is an important part of any homeownership program to facilitate home maintenance and retention. The HomeWorks
program has been designed for first time homebuyers and other homeowners and
provides information about basic home repairs, maintenance and financial management
necessary to successfully maintain a home.
Impact/Evaluation: The HomeWorks program was implement in six regions of the state
with 75 participants attending the program. Short versions of this program were presented
in the West Central, Northeast and South Central region to family and consumer science
teachers and community action agencies. Standard PIE evaluation forms were modified
and used for program implementation. Further, modules from the program were adapted
to develop a home safety and security MAFCE leader’s lesson, “Is your home safe inside
and out?” An additional 42 participants received information about home maintenance
and safety through this MAFCE lesson. The evaluation results for both the longer and
shorter version of the program and the MAFCE lesson show that the participants found
the program helpful and informative.
Ninety percent rated the overall quality of program as excellent or good and found the
resource materials useful. All the participants said that they benefited from participating
in the program and rated the information presented as outstanding or good. Outcome
evaluation showed that their confidence level in doing basic maintenance had increased.
Most (75 percent) agreed that their home maintenance practices had improved as a result
of attending the program. Further, outcome evaluations showed that participants adopted
one or more home maintenance and/or post-purchase financial management practices
because of participation of this program. These practices include having an emergency
fund, doing regular basic preventative maintenance, doing pest control, improving
appliance care and energy management, installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors,
managing mold and mildew in the house and developing an emergency exit plan.
Qualitative or open-ended responses in the evaluation surveys of programs show that they
were effective and helpful for the participants. Some of the open-ended comments are:





Did provide us with some resources to answer our home maintenance questions.
The handouts are very useful and helpful.
I feel I was well informed.
The instructors were well informed; the home inspection section was really good.
I learned about emergency fund, escrow accounts, how to budget for repair,
maintenance, and/or remodeling costs, etc.
Missouri Housing Partners Initiative (MHP)
Program Description: Missouri Housing Partners is an interdisciplinary programming
effort promoting interagency cooperation among numerous local, state, and federal
agencies and organizations. By streamlining access for homeownership information, the
program has provided resource availability and programs to individuals and families in
need of housing in Missouri. The program has also expanded alternative funding for
affordable housing in Missouri.
Population increase and economic growth have affected the demand for new housing in
Missouri. With these new jobs, unprecedented demands for affordable housing have
followed. Many of the newly established jobs are entry level and represent low annual
incomes. Missouri Housing Partner clients exemplify the lower annual incomes of many
families seeking affordable housing. For families seeking information through MHP, the
average reported annual family income for 2002 is $28,200 with a reported annual family
size of 2.92. For 2001, the average reported annual income was $26,437 with a reported
average family size of 3.07.
Research has indicated one of the biggest financial obstacles for first time homebuyers is
lack of money for a down payment. Conventional mortgages often require 20 percent
down payments. One of the specific objectives of MHP is to inform homebuyers of less
expensive options including current programs that often require three to five percent
down payments or less. For 2002, 79 percent of MHP clients have requested down
payment assistance information.
Missouri Housing Partners is specifically targeted for first-time homebuyers; however,
any potential homebuyer needing loan information is encouraged to participate. Most
clients are first time homebuyers and unfamiliar with home financing strategies. For
2002, 47.65 percent of the MHP clients have requested homebuyer education. In 2001,
86 percent of MHP clients requested homebuyer education.
The baseline study found that 24 percent of the respondents indicated they were not
eligible or did not qualify for financing. Based on that percentage, it is estimated that 673
of the 2803 MHP clients found they were not eligible for financing after reviewing MHP
resources.
Impact/Evaluation: Missouri Housing Partner members recognize the need to provide
quality, timely information to Missouri families seeking homebuyer assistance. Since the
beginning of the program in 1998, MHP members have routinely updated information
that has been provided to program clients. The baseline study found that 88 percent of
those surveyed indicated the information to be useful. The baseline study also indicated
that 21.3 percent of the respondents purchased a home since receiving information
through MHP.
Missouri Housing Partners has been successful because each of the participating agencies
worked cooperatively to meet the major objective of the initiative: provide housing
information for potential homebuyers. MHP has established housing interagency
communication and opportunities resulting in resources and program initiatives reaching
far beyond the current program. Those opportunities are expected to grow in the future.
Of the 2803 individuals and families who have requested and received information
through MHP, the majority of request forms were obtained at local University Outreach
and Extension Centers and USDA Rural Development Centers throughout Missouri.
Program access has changed significantly since the request form went online in 2001 and
each month the number of applications received has increased. From January through
December of 2002, 81% of the applications were submitted online compared to 73% in
2001. From January through June of 2003, 85% of the applications have been received
online. The website is located at <http://outreach.missouri.edu/mhp/>.
Housing Alliance: Madison County
Program Description: The shortage of affordable housing has been an ongoing problem in
Madison County. The flood of 1999 exacerbated the situation. Some families were
forced to move out of the county in order to find affordable adequate housing. Much of
the housing that is available is high cost and of uneven standard. A housing alliance was
formed to determine what the housing needs were in Madison County. The Housing
Alliance grew out of the local agency council (local social service providers who meet
monthly). After the housing issue was raised a number of times in public meetings, the
Housing alliance was formed to follow-up on the issue. The local East Missouri Action
Agency was charged with assisting the alliance. It was felt that as many interested parties
and stakeholders should have the opportunity to have input into the housing needs of the
County. Landlords, tenants, builders, bankers, social service agencies and more were
invited to attend brain-storming sessions.
The issues identified were: (1) there is a housing shortage, (2) this housing shortage
impacts (a) the elderly, (b) quality single or single parent housing (c) middle income
housing for families with an income between 15,000 and 20,000 per year, (3) not all
individuals are capable of living on their own, (4) a percentage of tenants may never be
responsible tenants regardless of the number of opportunities or education, (5) there is a
need for tenant education and possibly transitional housing, (6) there is a need for
landlord education - specifically for resources, (7) slumlords were identified as a
contributing to the housing problem
The housing alliance sends out follow-up information and resources to those who attend
workshops and sends related resources to landlords. A follow-up meeting is held for all
interested parties to discuss the immediate outcome and potential solutions. This process
helps foster a working relationship between landlords, tenants and agencies. It is
anticipated that this partnership will help begin to meet the housing needs, especially
those of low-income and low-income elderly, in the future.
Impact/Evlauation: Through group discussion, many of the myths surrounding lowincome renters were dispelled. Landlord discussion helped the landlords realize they were
not alone, there were resources that could help them help meet housing needs in the
county and that their perceptions of housing needs were similar. The majority of the
landlords were willing to make changes and build new homes or apartments or
rehabilitate current housing once they were made aware of some of the housing programs
and resources for landlords and became more aware of tenants needs.
Healthy Homes
Program Description: The purpose of the program is to help people learn and practice
personal financial skills and in the end, improve their housing situation. The program
involves individual counseling and five workshops in the areas of financial planning,
wise use of credit, financial services, saving and investing, keeping records, taxes,
consumer contracts, and insurance. The counseling session provides time to review
credit reports, individual goals and the development of a financial plan.
Interest in financial education arose because of recognition that some of the clients in
homebuyer education programs needed more financial management skills to qualify for
loans and to be successful homeowners. In addition, some organizations were forming
Individual Development Account (IDA) programs, which require a financial literacy
component.
Impact/Evaluation: One hundred eighty participants enrolled and 50 participants
completed the Gateway to Financial Fitness series of five workshops, set financial goals,
developed spending plans and met with budget counselors to evaluate their plans.
Almost all of the participants stated the information in the workshops was helpful and
most said that is was very helpful. Some of the things participants plan to do because of
the information presented in the workshops include: become free of all credit card debt
and maintain a savings account of at least $5,000 for a safety net, start keeping track of
all spending not matter how small, create a plan to get out of debt, start using automatic
payments (for bills), save money for emergencies, become more aware of spending
habits, talk about setting goals with others in the household, evaluate insurance coverage,
get disability coverage, better manage a checkbook, reassess retirement needs, make sure
more than the minimum balance on credit cards is paid, close some credit card accounts,
make a will, always read and understand what documents are signed, keep better records,
teach children about contracts, and expand tax deductions.
Sixty volunteer instructors attended half-day workshops and became aware of how adults
learn and how to apply that information to teaching financial management classes. The
volunteers also attended additional training in the use of the curriculum to prepare them
to facilitate the highly interactive classes.
The program targets several groups: aspiring homeowners with limited incomes and/or a
history of credit problems, current homeowners who are struggling financially because of
poor money management, low incomes or excessive debt; current homeowners who
cannot qualify for affordable home repair loans products; and current or potential
Individual Development Account Participants.
Gateway to Financial Fitness has been a success for many reasons. The idea for a
financial literacy program is timely. The partners are strongly committed and each is
able to contribute in ways that take advantage of their institutional strengths. In our
partnership, UOE was identified as the leader for curriculum development and training
for volunteers and participants.
The Catholic Commission on Housing has budget counselors on staff, therefore, they
were the logical source for individual counseling. The executive directors at NHS and
CCH are both expert grant writers and they took the lead in development of funding for
the coalition. The financial institutions have hundreds of employees who are encouraged
to give community presentations in order to meet Community Reinvestment Act
responsibilities or other corporate objectives; therefore, they are able to greatly expand
the workforce for this project. Organizations hosting the classes are responsible for
recruiting participants and local arrangements.
Evaluations are completed at the end of each workshop. An evaluation committee
consisting of UOE, CCH, and NHS personnel is developing a long-term evaluation to be
completed this summer and in two years. Information from a questionnaire and
individual credit reports that contain income, employment and debt information are used
to determine program effectiveness.
Partnerships
The Northeast Advisory and Access Group (NAAG)
Green Hills Community Action Agency
American Cancer Society
Barton County Health Department
Lamar School District and Community Betterment
Missouri Housing Development Commission
USDA Rural Development
Missouri Rural Opportunities Council
US Housing and Urban Development
Fannie Mae
US Veterans Administration
UMC School of Journalism - Center for Advanced Social Research
Catholic Commission on Housing (CCH)
Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS)
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
External Leadership Roles and Memberships
Michael Goldschmidt
United States Green Building Council
American Institute of Architects
AIA Committee on the Environment
Construction Specifications Institute
Ronn Phillips
UMC Institutional Review Board
Human Development and Family Studies
http://outreach.missouri.edu/hes/hdfs.htm
Sara Gable, State Specialist and Assistant Professor
Lynn Blinn Pike, State Specialist and Associate Professor
Kim Leon, State Specialist and Assistant Professor
Mark Fine, Department Chair
Adolescent Pregnancy Trends

In 2001, the teen birth rate in Missouri was 46 per 1,000 for 15-19 year olds.

Approximately 60 percent of teen mothers report having been the victims of sexual
abuse earlier in their lives.

The number of low birthweight infants increased in Missouri from 7.3 percent in
1994 to 7.7 percent in 2001.

Nearly 60 percent of teens that become mothers are living in poverty at the time of
the birth.
Child Care Trends

There is a "silent crisis" in U.S. childcare, which includes deficits of quality child
care programs and a poorly prepared and under-compensated workforce.

The annual turnover rate for center-based and home-based child care providers
averages approximately 30%.

64.5% of mothers with children under age 6 and 77.3% of mothers with children ages
6 to 17 are members of Missouri's workforce.
Divorce Trends

In Missouri there were 23, 458 divorces in 2000.

Approximately half of all divorces involve parents who have children under age 18.

Approximately 25% of divorced parents cooperate in coparenting their child. For the
remaining 75%, there is either little communication between parents, one parent is not
involved, or there is a highly conflictual coparenting relationship.
Program Highlights
Focus on Kids (FOK). The Focus On Kids program is taught to divorcing parents in
cooperation with the local circuit courts. The goal is to help parents focus on meeting the
needs of their children. Leadership is provided through HDFS Outreach and Extension.
Twenty-three extension regional specialists are currently teaching FOK in 30 Missouri
counties. During the last year, there were over 3,000 participants in FOK classes. The
mean age of the participants was 33 years. Because FOK is a court-mandated program
for parents who have filed for divorce, their prevailing attitude at the beginning of the
class is not always very positive. However, at the end of the class, the participants agree
or strongly agree that the program was worthwhile, according to the statewide evaluation
data. In general, the participants also felt that the presenters were effective and
understood the needs of families going through divorce. Most of the FOK participants
indicated that they planned to make a stronger effort to work with their former spouses
for the sake of the children, as a result of attending the program.
In January 2003, regional extension faculty began collecting six-month follow-up
evaluation data from Focus on Kids participants. This evaluation will continue through
the 2003-2004 academic year. In addition, HDFS faculty (Larry Ganong, Marilyn
Coleman, and Kim Leon) collected survey data from fathers who have participated in
Focus on Kids to assess their level of involvement with their children, quality of
coparenting with their former partners, and plans for future involvement with their
children. These data will be analyzed in 2004 and will provide valuable information for
addressing the needs of divorcing fathers and encouraging their continued involvement
with their children.
Development and field-testing of the Families and Divorce program for professionals
(e.g. teachers, child care providers, etc.) who work with families and children was
completed in the past year. Schools come into contact with large numbers of children
and parents, so the potential for providing support to divorcing parents and children
through schools is great. A survey of 71 schools in 11 counties in Missouri demonstrated
that 82% perceived a need for training for teachers and other staff in working with
divorced parents and their children. In the past year, program materials were developed
and piloted with a group of 60 Head Start teachers. End-of-session evaluations showed
that teachers felt the program provided useful and needed information. In March 2003,
20 regional extension faculty were trained to provide this program during PIE 364,
“Implementation of Supporting Divorcing Parents and their Children: A Program for
Professionals.” Regional faculty are planning to begin implementing the program for
teachers in their counties during the fall of 2003 and spring of 2004.
Child Care Core Competencies
US children’s participation in child care has become the norm and the quality of
children’s experiences is linked with their development. Research indicates that the best
predictor of the quality of children’s experiences is provider preparation and education.
Well-prepared individuals understand how children learn and grow, recognize the
importance of appropriate learning environments and activities, and pursue ongoing
education and training. Thus, our Child Care Core Competencies program centers on
improving the qualifications and working conditions of child care providers so that all
young children and their families have greater access to quality child care.
Educational Programs
Statewide, Extension Regional Faculty offered a variety of educational programs to
thousands of child care providers. Workshops focused on topics such as Building
Positive Self-Esteem, Positive Communication Skills, Promoting Cognitive Development,
Detecting Child Abuse and Neglect, Working with Toddlers, Challenging Child
Behaviors, Promoting Early Literacy in Young Children, Nutrition Education, Helping
Children Understand Divorce, Music – Happiness from the Heart, Food Safety, Working
with Puppets, Teaching Children to Deal with Stress, Disaster Preparedness,
Interactions with Children, and Child Observation and Assessment. In general,
participant evaluations indicate high satisfaction with University Outreach and
Extension's research-based information and great appreciation for the opportunity to
attend such high-quality programs locally. Additionally, since April 2002, more than
2000 child care providers have completed the MO Department of Health and Senior
Services Child Care Orientation Training; 5 Extension Regional Faculty are members of
the statewide trainer group who provides this critical, entry-level education for child care
workers.
To address child care providers' need for professional socialization and networking,
Extension Regional Faculty are actively involved in local and regional professional
organizations. Specifically, 4 Extension Regional Faculty are members of the National
Association for the Education of Young Children, Missouri; and, 5 Extension Regional
Faculty are members of Opportunities for Professional Education Network (OPEN)
regional teams.
Lastly, since the first edition of the Kansas and Missouri Core Competencies for Early
Care and Education Professionals appeared in January, 2001, 60,000 booklets have been
printed and over half have been distributed throughout the state. Extension has played an
important role in reviewing the original content, working on the design team, providing
funding, and distributing the publication to child care providers statewide.
Program Accreditation Facilitation
Three regional faculty assisted child care programs with the accreditation process.
Program accreditation involves a series of steps: first, child care administrators complete
a comprehensive self-study, next, programs are visited by peers who observe actual
practices and finally, the self-study and observation are reviewed by a group who makes
the ultimate accreditation decision.
Workforce Development
Missouri's Workforce Incentive Program (WIN): Child care providers are the critical
link between program quality and children’s experiences. Unfortunately, because child
care is plagued by high rates of turnover, those who opt for a career in child care quickly
learn that they will be poorly compensated, have limited benefits, and few opportunities
for professional advancement. With these shortcomings in mind, Missouri is pilot-testing
a workforce development initiative (WIN) that pays bi-annual cash incentives to child
care providers based on their educational attainment, ongoing professional development,
and continued employment in the same early childhood program. To date, 767 early
childhood professionals from child care centers and family child care homes in select
rural, urban, and suburban counties are participating in the incentive program.
Additionally, to determine whether the effort makes a difference, a longitudinal
evaluation study is being conducted to determine if the cash incentives increase
workforce stability (i.e., reduces turnover) and educational attainment, and improve child
care quality and provider interactions with children.
Missouri's Professional Achievement and Recognition System: To facilitate
participation in the WIN project, a detailed application form is completed which
describes individual demographic characteristics, education, experience, professional
development activities, and personal and household income. This information is being
used to establish a database about Missouri's child care workforce and to monitor
ongoing professional development activities. As of June 30, 2003, 1732 child care
providers (some participating in WIN and some not) submitted enrollment forms.
Missouri's Early Childhood Trainer Registry: To better understand the credentials
and work experience of those individuals who provide training workshops to child care
providers, an assessment of Missouri's trainers is underway. As of June 30, 2003, 590
(15 from UO/E) trainer registry enrollment forms had been submitted; ultimately, these
data will be used to establish a state system for approving and categorizing trainers and
training workshops.
Missouri Volunteer Resource Mothers Mentoring Program (MVRM)
Missouri Volunteer Resource Mothers (MVRM) is a mentoring program for pregnant and
parenting adolescents that was field-tested and evaluated at the University from 1994 to
1997. Communities can purchase training manuals, videos, and research reports, as well
as contract with staff to receive ongoing technical assistance for MVRM implementation
and evaluation. As of July 1, 2003, technical assistance was provided to MVRM projects
in the following counties in Missouri: Audrain, Butler, Stoddard, Harrison, Phelps,
Ripley, and Jasper. Contracts with five out-of-state agencies continued with Hawaii, New
Mexico, Georgia, South Carolina, and New York. One new contract in Abilene, Kansas
was initiated. Marketing presentations were made in Dent, Jefferson, St. Charles, and
Saline counties.
In October 2002, a Missouri Volunteer Resource Mothers Mentoring Program national
conference was held in Kansas City and a state-wide conference was held in Branson in
May, 2003. The MVRM list serve expanded to 40 members. Two grants were funded to
support a rigorous evaluation at six MVRM sites and early childhood education monies
were provided or parents and children at seven sites.
Maltreatment and Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting Program (MAPPP)
With funding from the Missouri Children's Trust Fund, and the Helen Real Endowment
in University Outreach and Extension (Beginnings Endowment), a community awareness
manual and video called Maltreatment and Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting or
MAPPP was developed. In 2000, fifteen regional specialists were trained on the use of
the MAPPP manual. The 16 counties in Missouri with the highest child abuse rates,
according to the 1998 Kids Count, have been targeted for training and technical
assistance to address violence in the lives of girls and young women. Through seven
regional MAPPP conferences and the downlink satellite broadcast, over 400
representatives from these counties have been trained in MAPPP. The conferences and
broadcast were aimed at identifying specific local projects to address violence and teen
pregnancy in their counties. The pre and post-test results on 80 representatives who
attended regional conferences showed a statistically significant improvement in their
understanding of the extent of violence experienced by many pregnant adolescents, the
nature of the injuries perpetrated on many pregnant adolescents, and the impact on the
unborn infant as a result of physical abuse of the adolescent mother during pregnancy.
Maltreatment and Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting Program Downlink
Satellite Broadcast
CASPP produced a national satellite conference on the MAPPP program on September
19, 2002. The conference broadcast reached 3,600 viewers at 90 sites in 26 states. The
theme of the downlink conference was cultural awareness of the varying pictures of
violence and teen pregnancy. Experts, practitioners, and teen mothers addressed cultural
differences in perceptions of child abuse among Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, Latinos,
Native Americans, and Vietnamese/Amerasians. Our web site provided supplemental
materials on cultural issues, fathering and engaging parents (see:
http://outreach.missouri.edu/hdfs/satconf).
Effective Programs to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Initiative
In 1992, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta began a
process of identifying and promoting the most effective school-based and communitybased curricula for the prevention of adolescent high-risk sexual behaviors. The CDC
provided funding to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
and the Department of Human Development at the University of Missouri to support this
effort, formerly labeled the Programs That Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Initiative.
Since 1996, regional specialists from each region of Missouri have become trainers in six
of these effective curricula and, in turn, have trained school personnel from all over the
state. Over 450 teachers, school nurses and administrators have been trained in six
curricula: "Reducing the Risk," "Becoming a Responsible Teen," "Get Real About
AIDS," “Being a Responsible Teen," “Making Proud Choices," and "Making A
Difference."
Evaluation of Curricula
A four-year longitudinal research project has just been completed which assessed the
impact of the Reducing the Risk (RTR) curriculum on 1112 students in 20 school systems
across Missouri. The Pharmacia & Upjohn Corporation and the National Institutes of
Health/U.S. Office of Population Affairs funded this research. The results showed that 30
months after the curriculum, the RTR group was less likely to be sexually active than the
comparison group.
In addition, another longitudinal research project is currently underway which assesses
the impact of the abstinence-only curriculum Removing the Risk on approximately 700
students in 15 schools across the state. The Missouri Department of Health & Senior
Services is funding this research.
Adolescent Mother Journaling Program
After three years of field-testing, the Adolescent Mother Journaling Program (AMJP) was
launched with funding from the Children’s Trust Fund. AMJP is an eight-lesson
intervention that provides young parents with relaxation and artistic expression strategies
to reduce the likelihood of becoming physically and verbally abusive. The strategies
include meditation, guided imagery, journal writing, and drawing. In fall 2002, 54
professionals from across the state began training young parents on AMJP. To date, 50
young parents have completed AMJP and have completed the pre and post-test. We will
follow up with each young parent at 6 and twelve months, as well as a matched
comparison group. The test scores track them on scales that measure anger management,
child abuse potential, and parenting stress.
Partnerships
University Outreach and Extension's child care improvement efforts involve partnerships
with a wide array of statewide entities, including: the Missouri Child Care Resource and
Referral Network; Missouri Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education;
Health and Senior Services; Social Services, the Missouri Children’s Trust Fund; Head
Start; Parents As Teachers; Missouri institutions of higher education; Missouri Circuit
Courts; Office of State Courts Administration; the Association for the Education of
Young Children – Missouri; and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
Case Histories and Testimonials
Several Regional Faculty in southwest MO provided training workshops on tornado
recovery and dealing with stress after the weather-related tragedies of 2003.
One participant said that it was at this training that she had felt "the most support since
the tornado occurred" and that the training and connections she made helped her get
through this terrible experience. (Testimonial provided by Kim Allen, SW Human
Development Specialist)
Families and Divorce
The program provided a great avenue for teaching resources.
The handouts have great information I can share with families.
Missouri Volunteer Resource Mothers:
We really feel a big change has been being able to hire a local school nurse parttime to recruit and do intake with the girls. She has freed up a lot of time and has
a wonderful rapport with the girls, especially as many knew her when they went
to Jr. High. She also has brought a much needed and used health focus to the
program-the girls always get good advice and monitoring from her regarding the
baby's health. The girls enjoy the journaling sessions. The jewelry especially
always gets rave reviews. I think the program is doing what it set out to do,
reduce child abuse and neglect potential and increase early childhood learning
opportunities.
Program Coordinator, Butler County Resource Mothers
Maltreatment and Adolescent Pregnancy Program:
After doing the activities, I feel like I can control my anger better and be a better
parent to my son.
After attending the MAPPP workshop, we realized that we need to work harder to
bring obstetrical care to our county so pregnant women will not need to drive two
hours to the nearest hospital.
Evaluation of Reducing the Risk:
I think this class is good because it will teach us the dangers of sex and how to
say "no.''
Adolescent Mother Journaling Program:
From a sixteen-year-old mother who completed AMJP: You cannot love anybody
till you love yourself. I couldn't love my kids till I began to accept myself. I had to
love myself cause I couldn't love my babies.
External Leadership Roles and Memberships
Sara Gable
State
Advisory Board Member, Missouri Head Start State Collaboration Office (1996 present)
Member, Opportunities in a Professional Experiences Network (OPEN) (1997 present)
Member, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Child Care
Advisory Board (1997- present)
Member, Missouri Department of Social Services Accreditation Review Team
(1999 - present)
National
Member, National Network for Child Care (USDA, 1999 - present)
Lynn Pike
Local
Boone County Health Report Card Leadership Committee
State
Adolescent Sexuality Special Interest Group (SIG) of the National Network on
Family Resiliency, United States Department of Agriculture
CYFAR Executive Board, United States Department of Agriculture
Missouri Department of Health Adolescent Task Force
National
Executive Board Member, National Organization of Adolescent Pregnancy,
Parenting and Prevention Programs (NOAPP)
Associate Editor, Family Relations
Reviewer, numerous child and family-related refereed journals
Kim Leon
State
Advisory Board Member, ParentLink Coalition (2001- present)
Healthy Parenting Toolkit committee (2002-present)
National
Ad Hoc Manuscript Reviewer: Family Relations (2001-present); Journal of
Social and Personal Relationships (2002-present); Journal of Marriage and the
Family (2003-present)
Faculty Publications
Gable, S. & Halliburton, A. (2003). Barriers to child care providers’ professional
development. Child and Youth Care Forum, 32(3), 175-193.
Halliburton, A. & Gable, S. (2003). Development during the School-Age Years (6
to 12) (GH 6235). Columbia, MO: University of Missouri-Columbia, Extension
Publications.
Halliburton, A. & Gable, S. (2002). Development during the First Three Years
(GH 6121). Columbia, MO: University of Missouri-Columbia, Extension Publications.
Halliburton, A. & Gable, S. (2002). How Children Develop during the Preschool
Years (GH 6122). Columbia, MO: University of Missouri-Columbia, Extension
Publications.
Kaplan, M., Pike, L., Berger, T., Wittstruck, G., & Leigh, S. (2002). Journaling
With Pregnant Adolescents. Reclaiming Youth, 11, 16-25.
Leon, K., & Jacobvitz, D. B. (in press). Relationships between adult attachment
representations and family ritual quality: A prospective longitudinal study. Family
Process.
Leon, K. (2003). Risk and protective factors in young children’s adjustment to
parental divorce: A review of the research. Family Relations, 52, 258-270.
Leon, K. (2003). Domestic violence and divorce (GH 6608). Columbia, MO:
University of Missouri-Columbia, Extension Publications.
Leon, K. (2002). Helping infants and toddlers adjust to divorce (GH 6607).
Columbia, MO: University of Missouri-Columbia, Extension Publications.
Pike, L., Berger, T., Hewett, J., & Oleson, J. (in press). Evaluation of the
‘Reducing the Risk’ curriculum: 18-Month Follow-Up. Journal of Adolescent Research.
Pike, L., Berger, T., Dixon, D., Kuschel, D., & Kaplan, M. (2002). Is There a
Causal Link Between Maltreatment and Adolescent Pregnancy? A Literature Review.
Perspectives in Sexual and Reproductive Health, 34, 68-75.
Nutritional Sciences
http://outreach.missouri.edu/hes/food.htm
Stephen D. Ball, State Specialist/Assistant Professor
Jo Britt-Rankin, State Specialist/FNEP Administrative Director
Candace Gabel, Associate State Specialist/FNEP Curriculum & Staff
Training Coordinator
Ann Cohen, Associate State Specialist/Body Walk Coordinator
Barbara Willenberg, Associate State Specialist/FNEP Special Projects
Coordinator
Amy Sigman, Extension Associate/FNEP Assistant Coordinator
Roger Sunde, Department Chair
Trends

Lifestyle behaviors, including food selection and physical activity, are the major
causes of chronic disease and premature morbidity and mortality.

Missourians are similar to most other Americans, in that, they are less physically
active than recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General Office and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.

Missouri has one of the highest obesity rates in the nation. Americans spend over $30
billion a year on dieting, but 95 percent of the time lost weight is regained within five
years.

According to the 2001 Kids Count Data Book published by the Annie E. Casey
Foundation, several Missouri trends affecting children have improved, however, the
rate of low-birth weight infants increased. Nineteen percent (19%) of children under
the age of 18 live in working-poor families and 23 percent of these children lack
health insurance coverage.
Program Highlights
Family Nutrition Education Program (FNEP)
FNEP is a statewide nutrition education program bringing the latest research-based
information to low-income Missourians. FNEP strives to assist clients in achieving
lifelong health and fitness. Over 120 paraprofessional educators work with clients
individually and in small groups—in their homes, in schools and at agencies. FNEP
reaches over 150,000 Missouri residents annually. Each client receives an average of
five lessons. Educators provide in-class education in over 55% of the school districts
throughout the state.
The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) reached 2,075 families,
which totaled 7,049 persons. The EFNEP youth program also served 8,749 youth during
fiscal year 2002. Eighty-eight percent (87%) of participants graduating from the EFNEP
adult program received 7 or more lessons from a standardized nutrition curriculum.
Show-Me Body Walk
Body Walk is a fun, interactive program that teaches K-4th graders about nutrition and
making healthy lifestyle choices. Over 46,124 elementary students in 169 schools
participated in this program during the year. The program also engaged 2,915 teachers
and 3,418 volunteers. The Body Walk exhibit provides a colorful, enticing staging area
for memorable learning experiences about healthy behaviors and choices. Classroom
activities and suggested resources for teachers are provided to prepare the students prior
to their walk through the exhibit and to reinforce the learning afterward. Each student
receives a take-home booklet so that the information can be read at home with other
family members.
Health for Every Body Beyond Scales and Mirrors
Our nation spends more than $30 billion a year on dieting. Although some people are
able to lose weight by dieting, few are able to maintain that loss over time. It has become
clear that with current treatment methods permanent weight loss is not possible for the
majority of people. Health for Every Body introduces a new framework for moving
people away from diets to a gentler non-diet approach to living in a healthy body. The
primary goal of this newly redesigned series is to improve health through learning to eat
healthfully, live actively and to appreciate and respect one’s body and the body of others.
By participating in this four-session series, participants gain new attitudes, learn new
information and develop new skills about healthy living. The target audience is adults
who have been unsuccessful with dieting and want to reduce health risk factors through a
different approach to eating healthfully and being physically healthy. The program is
also appropriate for those interested in learning basic principles related to eating
healthfully and incorporating physical activity into their daily lives. Five HES regional
faculty have taught approximately 115 individuals this workshop series and more than
500 individuals have been introduced to the workshop’s basic concepts through
newsletters and from program participants. Of the 115 participants, 63% report a gain in
knowledge and 64% report that they plan to adopt new practices.
Partnerships
Nutritional Sciences Extension specialists and education assistants collaborate with over
300 local, regional, and state agencies. Nutritional Sciences Extension serves as one of
the key partnering organizations in the Missouri Nutrition Network, providing leadership
in the design and implementation of Network activities. Nutritional Science Extension
staff work in over 88% of the local WIC offices throughout the state and over 90% of the
food stamp offices.
Case Histories and Testimonials
Family Nutrition Education Program (FNEP)
From a program participant:
In one of my first sessions, the instructor showed me the Power Point presentation
over anemia because I had just recently found out that I was anemic again. Even
though anemia is a common problem in a lot of pregnancies, it was interesting to
find out what might have led to my becoming anemic. When we started the
presentation all I knew about anemia was that it was a lack of iron and made you
fatigue fast. After the presentation I knew that your iron intake would increase
with consumption of read meats and by increasing the amount of vitamin C and
by decreasing your intake of caffeine. Who would have thought that tea would
limit the absorption of iron by your body? I sure didn't think about it, but
throughout the whole year tea is generally my main intake of fluids. That
explained why I have been prone to anemia for several years. Needless to say the
tea intake was cut down drastically.
From Nutrition Education Assistants:
The Schuyler R1 Elementary Principal, Mrs. Walters stop me at school last
Friday to tell me that since I met with her daughter’s junior high health class, she
has been choosing to eat meat. She was delighted since her daughter has been
anemic. She also was grateful for the new curriculum outlines. Schuyler R1
Elementary has written their health curriculum, and nutrition is based on our
Show Me Curriculum!
I received the MAP scores from Joel E. Barber this week and they indicated
(according to the counselor) that the JEB students scored higher than the state
average in the nutrition standard in 2001 while they had scored lower than the
state average in 2000. Of course it is a category including nutrition and not
devoted solely to nutrition.
A parent of a fifth grader (and also a member of the school administration) told
me how much her daughter had learned about nutrition, and that she (the
daughter) was watching serving sizes and making sure she was eating from the
whole food guide pyramid every day. The parent also said that between their 2nd
grade daughter that had the nutrition lessons earlier in the year, and now the 5th
grader, the family was really watching what they ate.
Show-Me Body Walk
From school teachers:
It was great. The kids thought it was cool. All the stations were informative.
Timer worked great. Hands on was fun!
Activities were easy to present and interesting for students.
Teacher reported to me, district coordinator, that they were very impressed with
Body Walk and how much the students were going to take away from this
experience. Parents who volunteered expressed a sincere appreciation and felt
more Body Walk-type of learning activities would help their children retain more
information.
Volunteers couldn't believe how captivated the students were throughout Body
Walk. They said it was easy to keep their attention because the kids were
engaged!
The packets helped the teachers to do a better job teaching about health.
The activities were helpful in supplementing the district curriculum. It really
added to an already wonderful curriculum.
External Leadership Roles and Memberships
Stephen D. Ball
Member, National Strength and Conditioning Association
Member, American College of Sports Medicine
Ann Cohen
Database Editor, National Network for Health
Chair, Health Adventure Center, Columbia, MO
Liaison, Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Health
Jo Britt-Rankin
Member, Society for Nutrition Education
NCR/MPR EFNEP/FSNEP Regional Conference Planning Committee, Chair, 2003
Mountain Plains Food Stamp Regional Nutrition Education Awards Committee,
2000-Present
Core Planning Group Member, Missouri Nutrition Network
Adjunct reviewer, Journal of Nutrition Education, 1999-Present
Faculty Publications
Britt-Rankin J, Gabel C. (2002). The Bottle Water Label Guide. Columbia, MO:
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Britt-Rankin J. (2002). Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap Water? Columbia,
MO: University of Missouri-Columbia.
Gabel, C. (2002). Help for Type I Diabetes, A Dietary Guide. Columbia, MO:
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Gabel, C. (2002). Help for Type II Diabetes, A Dietary Guide. Columbia, MO:
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Gabel, C. (2002). Help for Hypertension, A Dietary Guide. Columbia, MO:
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Gabel, C. (2002). Help for Heart Disease, A Dietary Guide. Columbia, MO:
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Gabel, C. (2002). Help for Cancer, A Dietary Guide. Columbia, MO: University
of Missouri-Columbia.
Gabel, C. (2002). Help for Osteoporosis, A Dietary Guide. Columbia, MO:
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Fleming, T., Beason, T., Gabel, C., (2002). Diabetes Facts. Columbia, MO:
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Fleming, T., Beason, T., Gabel, C., (2002). Heart Disease Facts. Columbia, MO:
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Fleming, T., Beason, T., Gabel, C., (2002). Cancer Facts. Columbia, MO:
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Fleming, T., Beason, T., Gabel, C., (2002). Osteoporosis Facts. Columbia, MO:
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Fleming, T., Beason, T., Gabel, C., (2002). Hypertension Facts. Columbia, MO:
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Hemmelgarn, M. (2002). Dietary Supplements Info Sheet. Columbia, MO:
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Hemmelgarn, M. (2002). Metabolife Fact Sheet. Columbia, MO: University of
Missouri-Columbia.
Textile and Apparel Management
http://outreach.missouri.edu/motac/
Sharon Stevens, Associate State Specialist and Instructor
Jana Hawley, Assistant Professor and State Specialist
Kitty Dickerson, Department Chair
Mission Statement
The Missouri Textile and Apparel Center (MO-TAC) serves as the umbrella for textile
and apparel related issues in Missouri and beyond. It seeks to address the production,
distribution, and consumption of textile and apparel products by assisting manufacturers,
retailers, entrepreneurs, and consumers through consultation, education, and appropriate
referrals.
Trends

Increased expertise is needed in computer applications for all processes: in product
sourcing, in supply chain management, in marketing, in E-commerce, in logistics, and
in distribution.

The Internet will continue to impact the way that business is conducted. Companies
and consumers will increasingly embrace this medium.

The number of entrepreneurs and micro-enterprise businesses is growing rapidly.
Support and training in making good decisions and assistance finding appropriate
resources for supplies and services will be key to their success.

Issues of clothing economy, fit, and maintenance are of increasing concern to
consumers from all socio-economic groups.

There is increased interest in preserving items that represent personal heritage.

There is continued concern with preservation of the earth's natural resources and the
role played by recycling.

With increased emphasis on computer expertise and use, the digital divide has more
powerful impact on those families and individuals without access.
Program Highlights
MO-TAC provides reliable information, direct assistance and education to consumers and
to textile, apparel and sewn products businesses in the Midwest by providing specific
expertise, information, resources, and referrals with special emphasis on technology.
Apparel Technology Center
The Apparel Technology Laboratory now includes a digitizer, plotter, single ply cutter,
and twelve computer stations with state-of-the-art apparel production and design
software. The software and hardware is valued at three-quarters of a million dollars.
The Technology Laboratory is supported and used by both Outreach and Extension and
the Department of Textile and Apparel Management for the benefit of both students and
industry.
It is available to companies to explore and analyze sewn-products technology in a neutral,
low-pressure environment before making purchase decisions.
Students who graduate from the program have been exposed to these technologies and
can immediately contribute expertise to their new employers.
Body Scanning
The Textile and Apparel Management Department participated in a nationwide sizing
study and has acquired a [TC]2 body scanner. Plans are underway for providing a body
scanning service and possible computer generated pattern alteration service through
UO/E.
Fee-Based Services
MO-TAC offers limited fee-based services in the areas of marketing, product
development and pre-production to sewn products companies. This provides small
companies an affordable, low-risk way to explore new markets, experiment with new
products, and launch new ventures. The scope of this service is extremely limited by the
available personnel.
The Mid-America MO-TAC Directory
The expanded Directory provides comprehensive information about apparel and sewn
products companies located in Missouri, Indiana, Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, Kentucky, and
Oklahoma. It is in its seventh edition.
E-Commerce
MO-TAC provides information and advice on doing business on the Internet and limited
web page development services to small and start-up businesses. The guidesheet, Put
Your Company on The Web, was developed to assist companies with making decisions
about their web presence.
Information for consumers about safe use of the Internet for buying is under
development.
Partnerships
Missouri-based Partnerships
 Missouri Small Business Development Centers
 Business and Industry Extension Specialists
 Missouri Department of Economic Development
 Various Missouri-based manufacturers and other businesses
 Missouri 4H
International and National Relationships
 International Textile and Apparel Association
 American Apparel Producers Network
 Textile Clothing and Technology Corporation [TC]2
External Leadership Roles and Memberships
International Textile and Apparel Association, member