Profile: Amara Parenting
Children in foster care needing permanent families will benefit from a $15,000 grant awarded to Amara by the CFOS Foundation. Amara (formerly Medina Children's Services) is an independent, nonprofit organization in the State of Washington that has been providing services to families and children since 1921.
In just the last three years , Amara found loving, permanent homes for 145 children from foster care. More than half of these children were siblings who found adoptive homes in which they could heal and grow up together.
"The outlook for children who 'age out' of foster care without permanent families is heartbreaking," said John Morse, Amara's Executive Director. "We know that fewer than 50% will graduate from high school, nearly half will abuse alcohol by age 25, and more than 25% will be incarcerated within two years. When we find the right adoptive family for a child in foster care, it is transformative. Their chances for going to college, developing healthy relationships, and thriving as adults rebound when they are embraced by a family who can love and commit to them for the rest of their lives. We appreciate the trust placed in us by the awarding of this grant from the CFOS Foundation, which will assist us in finding families for these vulnerable kids."
To find out more about Amara, or to contribute, visit their website at www.amaraparenting.org.
Profile: Children's Institute for Learning Differences
The CFOS Foundation is pleased to announce the award of a grant to Children's Institute for Learning Differences (CHILD). CHILD's mission is to provide innovative school programs and clinical therapies for children with severe and perplexing learning disabilities and emotional challenges.
Within families, raising these children can cause enormous stress. The challenges can cause parents to become worn down, impatient, highly reactive, and sometimes violent. Some cave in after years of feeling isolated, confused, and ineffective. They need education from caring professionals and empathy from other parents in a similar situation.
Funds from this grant will be used to provide support groups which empower parents with research-based information, tools, and therapeutic supports. The goals are to create strong, healthy parent-child interactions, to replace despair with hope, and to prevent child abuse.
"CFOS Foundation has clearly stepped forward as a compassionate supporter of services to vulnerable children," said Trina Westerlund, CHILD's Founder and Executive Director. "This grant will establish a desperately needed resource to courageous and determined families who otherwise become caught in a downward spiral of isolation, crisis, and despair."
More information about CHILD us available on their website at www.childrensinstitute.com.
Profile: Global Visionaries
Global Visionaries (GV), a Seattle-based organization offering leadership training, has been awarded an $11,000 grant from the CFOS Foundation. This grant will be used to fund GV's efforts to increase retention of low-income and minority students throughout its programs.
The organization empowers youth from diverse socio-economic, ethnic, racial, and geographic backgrounds to become active leaders and global citizens who promote justice. Every year, nearly 400 students engage in programs offered by GV. These programs includes six main content areas: leadership development, community service, fundraising and philanthropy, ecological footprint reduction, diversity training, and service learning at home and abroad. Students learn and expand their vision through a series of classes and experiences offered locally and in Guatemala.
"This grant will fund a peer mentoring effort which we believe will increase retention of disadvantaged and minority students," said Chris Fontana, GV's Executive Director. "This is ongoing concern for us, because when these students leave our programs in disproportionate numbers, it not only limits the career- and life-skills they could have gained, but also means we lose the perspective – and possible creative solutions – of people who are most impacted by the very social disparities we seek to address."
For more information about Global Visionaries, or to donate or volunteer, visit their website at www.global-visionaries.org.
Profile: Seattle Children's Home
The CFOS Foundation is pleased to announce that it has awarded a grant to Seattle Children's Home (SCH), a community mental health center whose mission is help children and their families by providing comprehensive mental health and developmental services. The grant will support a strategic planning process designed to reposition SCH to remain competitive and responsive to the mental health needs of children and families in our community.
Seattle Children's Home is a private not-for-profit organization that responds to the mental health needs of children and their families throughout Seattle, King County and Washington State. Founded in 1884 as Washington State's first children's charity, SCH has evolved into the only mental health facility of its kind in King County. SCH offers a full spectrum of mental health treatment services ranging from outpatient and in-home counseling to residential treatment with 24-hour nursing and psychiatric services.
Dr. Gena Palm, Executive Director said "We appreciate the support of the CFOS Foundation as we engage in a strategic planning process. Planning is always important; however given the current economic crisis and the growing needs of children and families, conducting the process now is critical."
For more information about Seattle Children's Home and to learn about volunteering opportunities visit their website at www.seattlechildrenshome.org.
Profile: Friends of The Children - King County
Vulnerable children and youth in King County will benefit from two grants totalling $30,000 which have been awarded to Friends of the Children (Friends-KC) by the CFOS Foundation. The grants will support ongoing operation of a unique mentoring program which seeks to increase positive adult influence in the lives of children through long-term relationships. Kim McKoy, past Executive Director of the program, stated "We are absolutely ecstatic to have been chosen as one of the first agencies to receive support from the CFOS Foundation. This grant will be leveraged with funds from other sources to help ensure that the very vulnerable children and youth we serve continue to receive essential support and services in our program."
Friends-KC has created a compelling way to address the challenges of children who grow up under the most difficult circumstances. The group identifies vulnerable children in kindergarten and pairs them with a consistent, long-term, professional mentor— called a Friend —who spends four hours with them every single week until they graduate from high school. Each Friend is a full time staff member who works with eight vulnerable children to give them the support they need to grow and thrive.
More information about Friends of the Children is available on their website. To learn more about volunteering, email Precious Johnson or call her at 206-328-3535. To make an instant donation, click here.
Profile: D.A.D.S.
A little-served group of Puget Sound area children and fathers will benefit from a grant awarded to Divine Alternatives for Dads Service (D.A.D.S.) by the CFOS Foundation. The grant will support D.A.D.S. programs which help fathers without custody stay involved in their children's lives.
D.A.D.S. offers training, support groups, reunification assistance, and help navigating the legal system to men who are living apart from their children. They meet their clients where they are and can offer the help that is needed at the moment. In all situations, D.A.D.S. works with men to help them understand their importance in the lives of their children.
In 2008, D.A.D.S. served approximately 500 men through support groups, individual counseling, and community based training. While these are chiefly men of color, D.A.D.S. embraces any man who wants to make positive changes in his relationship with his children.
"We are highly appreciative of the confidence in our work that this grant from the CFOS Foundation represents," said Marvin and Jeanett Charles, the co-founders of D.A.D.S. "A critical element of our success with helping fathers navigate the legal and child support systems is our ability to closely track and report on the progress of fathers, and use that data to refine and improve our services. This grant will assist us in that effort."
More information about D.A.D.S. is available on their website. To learn more about volunteering and contributing, contact Marvin and Jeanett Charles by email or phone them at 206-722-3137.
Profile: Starlight Children's Foundation
The Starlight Children's Foundation - Northwest has been awarded two grants by the CFOS Foundation. The grants will be used to support core programs for seriously ill children and their families.
Since 1992, Starlight Children's Foundation - Northwest has dedicated itself to improving the quality of life for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and life-altering injuries by providing entertainment, education, and family activities that help them cope with the pain, fear, and isolation of prolonged illness. Starlight Northwest touches the lives of more than 9,000 Washington and Oregon families each month. Their programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families with others facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone.
Starlight offers a comprehensive menu of outpatient, hospital-based, and web offerings that enable them to provide ongoing support for children and families — from diagnosis through the entire course of medical treatment. Programs include family activities and outings, in-hospital entertainment technology, online communities and interactive websites, in-hospital playrooms, kid-friendly treatment rooms, special events, and educational programming.
Steve McGraw, Executive Director of Starlight's Northwest chapter, said "Starlight's programs can only happen through the generous support of others in our community like the CFOS Foundation. They are a model on how granting foundations can engage with charitable efforts in our community. We at Starlight are very grateful for the grant and professional support we are receiving from the CFOS Foundation."
More information about Starlight is available on their website. To learn more about volunteering at Starlight, click here. To make an instant donation, click here.
