Foundation Awards $1.26 Million to 13 Local Children’s Agencies

PALO ALTO – The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health has approved $1.26 million in grants to 13 nonprofit agencies that serve children in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, foundation President and CEO Stephen Peeps announced today.

The grants, which range from $40,000 to $149,000 over one to two years, will support programs for young children who are at risk of abuse and neglect, and programs that support the well being of preteens. Ten of these nonprofits previously have received grants from the foundation.

“Our aim is to strike a balance between supporting current community partners and giving new agencies an opportunity,” Peeps said. “While there are many programs worthy of support, we recognize the need for our current grantees to establish solid track records for their programs in order to attract future support from other funders.”

The foundation supports programs in two focus areas: protecting children, ages 0-5, from injury, with an emphasis on preventing abuse and neglect; and promoting behavioral and emotional health in preteens, ages 9-13. Grants are awarded twice a year.

Six of the grants, totaling $584,000, were awarded to agencies in Santa Clara County, which has a child population of about 438,000.

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County: $115,000 over two years for Positive Parental Impact on Pre-Teens, a program that helps low-income Latino immigrant parents of preteens provide a healthy family structure for their children.

Community Solutions for Children, Families and Individuals: $149,000 over two years for the Family Advocate Program, a home visiting program in south Santa Clara County for parents with children under age 5 who are at risk of abuse and neglect.

Concern for the Poor (San Jose Family Shelter): $110,000 over two years to fund program expenses and additional staff support for Families First, which provides case management, parent education, childcare, and basic resources to homeless families with children ages 0 to 5.

Girl Scouts of Santa Clara County: $85,000 over two years for expansion of the Well Being program to additional elementary schools in Milpitas and Santa Clara. Well Being develops self esteem, relationship skills, and positive health choices for fourth- and fifth-grade girls.

InnVision, The Way Home: $75,000 over one year for the Healthy Families Project, a program that protects homeless and low-income children ages 0 to 5 from injury due to child abuse, domestic violence, or neglect.

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Foundation: $50,000 over one year for capital support of House on the Hill – Child Development and Administrative Center, a residential treatment program in San Jose where mothers of young children can receive substance abuse treatment, along with childcare and parenting education services.

Six of the grants, totaling $550,000, were awarded to programs in San Mateo County, which has a child population of about 164,000.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of San Francisco and the Peninsula: $40,000 over one year for the Community-Based Mentoring Program for Pre-Teens, a program that provides preteens in San Mateo County with one-to-one adult mentoring experiences.

Community Learning Center (South San Francisco Library): $120,000 over two years for Homework Club, an after-school program that works to build self confidence, as well as leadership and academic skills, in third to fifth graders in South San Francisco.

Family Connections: $100,000 over two years for development of curriculum for the Parent Leadership Project, a program designed to enhance low-income parents’ basic child development knowledge and teach them positive discipline techniques.

Mid-Peninsula Boys and Girls Club: $115,000 over two years for the San Mateo County General Operating Collaborative, a partnership among the four Boys and Girls Clubs in San Mateo County. Funds will be used to purchase and implement software that will track participation by kids and assist with program evaluations. The grant also will support general operating costs associated with preteens served by the clubs.

Women’s Recovery Association: $75,000 over two years for The Children’s Program: Child Abuse Prevention and Parenting Services, which provides childcare, parenting services, and family case management to mothers and pregnant women receiving treatment for substance abuse.

Youth Leadership Institute: $100,000 over two years for The Girls’ Ideas and Research Leadership (GIRL) Project, a new youth development program that will provide girls ages 11-13 from chemically dependent families in Redwood City with the opportunity to lead community assessment, research, and advocacy efforts related to health issues affecting them.

One grant for $125,000 was awarded to a program that serves both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

Friends for Youth: $125,000 over two years for Mentoring Support Services, which provides preteens in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties with adult mentoring opportunities.

Funds for the grants program come from the foundation’s endowment and a partnership grant from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Since December 2000, the foundation has awarded 245 grants, totaling $22,874,439, to 135 different nonprofit organizations.

The foundation is an 8-year-old public charity whose mission is to “promote, protect, and sustain the physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health of children.” For more information about the foundation’s community grantmaking program, call (650) 736-0676 or visit http://www.lpfch.org/grantmaking.