The Appanoose County NEST program has been under the guidance of coordinator Meho Clark for about three years and has been growing steadily.

The parent education and support group began about five years ago at SEIDA, but has since moved under the control of Clark at the ISU Extension Office where it currently serves about 60 families and 100 children.

The program serves anyone who is pregnant or with a child under five. There are not other restrictions on who can participate. Families can attend the classes that NEST offers on a variety of subjects and earn points that they can buy items with as well....

....Currently the NEST classes are studying how adverse childhood experiences like trauma can affect brain development and have consequences even in adulthood. They are learning about the results of a 30-year study that followed people from childhood to adulthood.

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