Innovative Program Connecting Former Foster Care Youth With Children In Foster Care Will Undergo National Expansion to Eight Member Agencies
Latest Grant Brings New York Life Foundation Support of CWLA to Nearly $950,000
NEW YORK, N.Y., January 10, 2008 — The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) announced today that it was awarded a three-year, $748,000 grant from the New York Life Foundation to expand its mentoring program, Fostering Healthy Connections, to eight CWLA member agencies nationally.
The curriculum of the mentoring program is the only one developed specifically to involve former foster youth as mentors for those who are currently in the foster care system. The curriculum was created in collaboration with FosterClub, a nonprofit organization with expertise working with foster care youth as a result of New York Life Foundation’s 2005 grant to CWLA.
"With this significant, ongoing support from the New York Life Foundation, CWLA can expand this important program. Now even more youth in foster care will benefit from the relationships with their mentors at a critical time in their lives," said Christine James-Brown, CWLA’s president and chief executive officer.
"The New York Life Foundation is proud to build on the success of our initial grant and provide additional support to a program that has already proven to be successful," said Chris Park, president, New York Life Foundation. "Through our partnership with CWLA, additional children in foster care, who desperately need strong connections in their lives, will benefit from the insight of mentors who uniquely understand their needs."
The program is expanding to eight agencies located in Schenectady and Stony Brook, New York; Des Moines and Peoria, Illinois; Melbourne, Florida; Holmes, Pennsylvania; Columbus, Ohio; and East Providence, Rhode Island.
The Foundation’s previous $199,200 grant to CWLA in 2005 provided funding to develop the Fostering Healthy Connections program in conjunction with FosterClub. The program was piloted at Boys’ Haven, a CWLA member agency in Louisville, Kentucky. Boys’ Haven provides residential and foster care services to children who have been victims of abuse and neglect. The program has proven successful with nearly 100 percent participation in all activities by all mentor/mentee matches.
Based on the success of the pilot program, CWLA requested funding to offer Fostering Healthy Connections training, ongoing technical assistance, and a “toolkit” of activities and resources to eight additional agencies. FosterClub will again collaborate with CWLA and use the curriculum to develop the trainers for each new agency. The curriculum and program materials will also be available to all CWLA members at the conclusion of the grant.
About Child Welfare League of America
Since 1920, the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) has been the nation’s pre-eminent organization dedicated to ensuring that disadvantaged and vulnerable children are protected from harm and have the tools and resources they need to grow into the healthy and happy adults we want them to become. CWLA is the trusted authority for professionals who work with children and the only national organization with members from both public and private agencies, providing unique access and influence to all sectors of the children’s services field. For more information about CWLA, please visit www.cwla.org.
About The New York Life Foundation
The New York Life Foundation is the major vehicle through which New York Life Insurance Company channels contributions to national and local nonprofit organizations. Through its Nurturing the Children initiative, the Foundation supports organizations, programs and services that target young people, particularly in the areas of mentoring, safe places to learn and grow, and educational enhancement opportunities. Since 1979, the New York Life Foundation has donated more than $100 million to national and local non-profit organizations. Please visit the Foundation’s Web site at www.newyorklifefoundation.org.
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