Justine Dawson (left), Program Manager at the KidsPeace Foster Care office in Chalfont, receives the Bucks Innovation and Improvement Grant from Tobias Bruhn, Executive Director of Foundations Community Partnership.
KidsPeace announced it has received a $7,500 grant to fund youth and family activities through its foster care office in Chalfont, Bucks County, PA. The grant is part of the Bucks Innovation and Improvement Grants (BIIG) program administered by Foundations Community Partnership.
The grant will fund a variety of efforts to provide kids in foster care in Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery counties with recreational experiences which are common among their peers but often not available to children in care.
“Such experiences are especially important for kids in our program, because through them the kids are able to build social skills that help them achieve their treatment goals,” said Justine Dawson, KidsPeace FCCP program manager at the Chalfont office. “Age-appropriate activities like these also address the kids’ mental health needs by reducing anxiety and improving their interactions with others.”
“And just as important, they give our kids the opportunity to just be kids!”
KidsPeace’s foster care program in Chalfont recruits, trains and licenses foster families, matches them with kids needing care, and provides ongoing support to both the children and the families. The program opened in 2000 and serves approximate 25 youth from the three counties each year.
Foundations Community Partnership (FCP) is a non-profit, private grant-making foundation established in 2007 to support the behavioral health and human service needs of children, young adults, and their families in Bucks County, Pa. In response, the organization provides grants and technical assistance, scholarships, and professional development as well as service-learning opportunities through collaborative partnerships.
