CHILDREN’S HEALTH FOUNDATION AWARDS GRANTS TO 11 COMMUNITY AGENCIES

PALO ALTO – The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health has approved $1,254,405 in new grants and commitments to 11 nonprofit organizations that serve children and youth in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, foundation President and CEO Stephen Peeps has announced.

The awards range from $20,000 to $250,000, over one to three years. The funds support programs in two focus areas: protecting children, ages 0 to 5, from injury, with an emphasis on preventing child abuse and neglect; and promoting behavioral, mental and emotional health in pre-teens. A partnership grant from the California Endowment helps support the foundation’s efforts in youth development and reducing high-risk behavior in pre-teens.

“Our grant will help us let families know that they are not alone, that we are here to listen and give them the support they need to maintain,” said Toni Wallace, executive director at the Family Support Center, one of the grantees. The center will use its $88,000, two-year grant to expand its Brighter Futures program, which works with parents in East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park to prevent child abuse and neglect.

“When a parent says to me, ‘Thank you. You saved my life. You saved my child’s life,’ that’s success,” Wallace said.

The grant will support parent training workshops and child abuse detection instruction to school district personnel and community agencies that serve children.

The Children’s Discovery Museum in San Jose will use its $150,000, two-year grant to create a new program that teaches pre-teens how to design Web pages, produce radio spots and video regarding health topics of interest to their age group.

“The museum staff heard significant concerns from South Bay youth about the need to engage them in health education,” said Jenni Martin, director of education and programs at the museum. “The Discovery Youth program teaches youth new tools, the tools of technology, that will allow them to become contributing citizens as they educate their peers and younger children about various health issues.”

Four grants totaling $700,000 were awarded to Santa Clara County. The other Santa Clara County grantees and their awards are: Catholic Charities of San Jose, $250,000 over two years; Mexican American Community Services Agency, $125,000 over two years; and Social Advocates for Youth, $175,000 over two years.

Six grants totaling $ 433,000 were awarded to nonprofit child health organizations in San Mateo County. In addition to the Family Support Center, San Mateo grantees and their awards are: The Coastside Collaborative for Children, Youth, and Families, $20,000 over two years; Peninsula Family YMCA, $75,000 over two years; Redwood City Healthy Start Network, $150,000 over two years; and the San Francisco 49ers Academy of East Palo Alto, $75,000. Today’s Youth Matter, an organization that works to build the self-esteem of troubled youth from both counties, will receive $121,405, over three years, to add year-round mentoring to its current summer camp program.

The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health was established as a public charity in 1996, when the previously independent Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital became part of Stanford University Medical Center. The foundation’s mission is to “promote, protect, and sustain the physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health of children.

Funding for the community grantmaking program comes from the foundation’s endowment. Grants are awarded twice a year, in June and December.

The foundation also is the fundraiser for Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and the pediatric programs at Stanford Medical School. A program of public information and education regarding children’s health issues is under development at the foundation.

For more information about the foundation’s community grantmaking program, call (650) 736-0676.

For more information about the grant application process, e-mail grants@lpfch.org.