Pew Announces Grants to Support Philadelphia’s Low-Income Children and Families

PHILADELPHIA—The Pew Charitable Trusts announced today that it will provide $8,588,000 over the next three years to 45 Philadelphia-area organizations that work to improve the lives of the region’s low-income children, youth, and their families. More than 22,000 local young people will be assisted through these grants on an annual basis.

Pew’s support will help agencies that focus on five core areas: delivering high-quality early education and child care; providing effective prevention and early intervention services to reduce behavioral and academic problems; increasing access to mental health services; expanding quality after-school programs; and helping parents secure and retain public benefits and services to strengthen household stability.

“A staggering 37 percent of children live in poverty in Philadelphia, which is the highest level among the nation’s 10 largest cities,” said Frazierita Klasen, senior director of the Pew Fund for Health and Human Services. “These young people are at serious risk of lagging behind in language, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Pew is pleased to partner with local agencies that are helping to improve the lives of these vulnerable children and their families.”

In 2016, the Pew Fund marks 25 years of support for health and social services organizations in the region. The program assists organizations that serve some of the most vulnerable members of the community—disadvantaged children, youth, and families; adults with multiple, complex issues such as those related to homelessness and mental health; and the frail elderly. Since its inception, the Pew Fund has awarded almost $207 million to approximately 320 nonprofit organizations in Philadelphia and neighboring Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties.

A list of the 2016 grants serving low-income children, youth, and their families follows. Awards are categorized by funding goal; all are a total over three years.

Goal 1: To increase the number of early child care and educational programs that are advancing toward Pennsylvania’s standards for good or high quality, or that reflect best practices in instruction and curriculum to improve children’s language, math, and/or social and emotional skills.

ASSET STEM Education - $180,000

For support to provide high-quality science, technology, engineering, and math training and technical assistance for early child care centers in Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

Children’s Literacy Initiative - $186,000

To provide professional development and curriculum for teachers at nine early childhood centers across Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA - $265,000

For continued support of the Family Child Care Network to improve the quality of home-based child care providers.

Goal 2: To increase the availability of effective prevention and early intervention efforts that support the development of cognitive, social, emotional, or literacy skills in at-risk children and youth, thereby reducing the likelihood of long-term behavioral and academic problems.

AARP Foundation - $180,000

For continued support of Experience Corps-Philadelphia to offer tutoring for children from kindergarten to grade three.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation - $275,000

For continued support of PRAISE, a peer-bullying-prevention program for young people in grades three through five in southwest Philadelphia.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation - $183,000

For support of the PriCARE project to improve the ability of caregivers to more effectively manage their children’s behavior.

Children’s Village - $140,000

For continued support to provide developmental assessments, referrals, and follow-up for at-risk young children.

Delta Community Supports - $168,000

For support of the Teen Outreach Program for at-risk teens attending Philadelphia high schools.

Diversified Community Services - $185,000

For support to implement the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters program for families in South Philadelphia.

Drexel University - $171,000

For continued support to reduce behavioral problems in young children in North and West Philadelphia.

Easter Seals of Southeastern Pennsylvania - $190,000

For support of implementation of the Positive Behavior Intervention Support model to address challenging behaviors of children attending its early intervention and education programs.

Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia - $180,000

For support of the Head Start Parenting Program, serving low-income families in North Philadelphia.

Ken-Crest Centers - $216,000

For continued support to reduce problem behaviors among preschool children served by its six Philadelphia early child care programs.

Maternal and Child Health Consortium - $215,000

For continued support of school readiness and other support services for young children in southern Chester County.

Widener University - $175,000

For continued support of the Chester Prevention, Assessment, and Treatment program, serving at-risk children living in Chester.

Goal 3: To expand effective approaches that enable especially vulnerable children and families to secure much-needed behavioral health services.

Drexel University - $221,000

For continued support of the Grow Clinic to provide behavioral assessments, intervention, and consultation to poor families in Philadelphia.

Drexel University - $180,000

For continued support of the Primary Care Behavioral Health Program of Eleventh Street Family Health Services.

Esperanza Health Center - $185,000

To support an initiative integrating behavioral health and primary care services for vulnerable Hispanic children and families in North Philadelphia.

Family Service of Montgomery County, PA - $180,000

For continued support of the Truancy Abatement Initiative.

Intercultural Family Services - $180,000

To provide behavioral health services to children and families exhibiting negative behaviors such as truancy in West Philadelphia.

Joseph J. Peters Institute - $200,000

For continued support of the Child and Adolescent Survivor Program, providing trauma therapy to victims of sexual abuse.

Network of Victim Assistance in Bucks County - $210,000

For continued support of the Trauma Support Program, providing behavioral health services to victims of child abuse and their families in Bucks County.

Philadelphia Children’s Alliance - $250,000

For continued support for the mental health therapy program for child victims of sexual abuse.

Support Center for Child Advocates - $250,000

For continued support of its Outcomes in Behavioral Health Project, to increase access to needed mental health services for abused and neglected children.

Goal 4: To expand high-quality, effective out-of-school-time programs that strengthen academic achievement, successful engagement in school, and post-secondary success for disadvantaged youth.

Attic Youth Center - $150,000

For continued support of its Life Skills Center, which offers academic enrichment and workforce development skills to vulnerable LGBTQ youth in Philadelphia.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region (formerly Southeastern Pennsylvania) - $215,000

For continued support of the College Bigs program, which matches college student mentors with children between the ages of 10 and 12.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County Inc. - $150,000

For continued support of the Lower Bucks Mentoring Initiative serving at-risk young people in Bristol, Bensalem, and Morrisville.

Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia - $135,000

For continued support of a rigorous academic enrichment and college preparation program for disadvantaged middle and high school students in Philadelphia.

Chester County Futures - $160,000

For continued support of academic enrichment and mentoring services for low-income students in Chester County.

Chester Education Foundation - $170,000

For continued support to provide after-school tutoring, life skills, and career-exploration opportunities to Chester Upland School District students.

Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation - $200,000

For continued support of the After School Excellence Program in Philadelphia.

ESF Dream Camp Foundation - $120,000

For continued support of year-round educational and recreational activities for low-income children in Philadelphia.

Garage Community & Youth Center - $135,000

To support after-school and summer academic, mentoring, and community service programs for disadvantaged youth in Chester County.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania - $200,000

For continued support of the Girl Scouting Beyond Bars program for daughters of incarcerated mothers in Philadelphia.

Mighty Writers - $150,000

For operating support to improve the writing abilities of young people in low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Futures - $285,000

For continued support of academic enrichment, mentoring, and college preparation to help disadvantaged high school students in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Mural Arts Advocates - $225,000

For continued support of arts education programs offered after school and in the summer for low-income youth in Philadelphia.

Project HOME - $186,000

For continued support of year-round academic enrichment programs for young people from kindergarten through high school in North Philadelphia.

SquashSmarts - $105,000

For continued support of year-round academic enrichment and physical fitness activities for middle and high school students in Philadelphia.

Temple University - $187,000

For continued support of the University Community Collaborative’s leadership development and career exploration activities for disadvantaged youth in Philadelphia.

Women Against Abuse - $225,000

For continued support to provide after-school programs at its emergency shelters and a transitional housing facility for victims of domestic violence in Philadelphia.

Goal 5: To increase effective approaches that improve the access of vulnerable children, youth, and families to public benefits and other critical services.

Community Legal Services - $218,000

For continued support to provide legal services to families in Philadelphia to help them secure key public benefits.

Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania - $150,000

For support of the Steps to Security program, which helps low-income families in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties obtain important public benefits.

Public Citizens for Children and Youth - $270,000

For continued support of the Child Health Watch Helpline to assist families in the region to secure health insurance.

Public Health Management Corporation - $187,000

For continued support to provide assistance to homeless children who are at risk of developmental delay.