KidsPeace Foster Care has received a $4,500 grant to enhance its efforts to help older foster youth live independently in central Pennsylvania.
The grant was made from the Bernard & Eva Bredbenner Fund at the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania, and will be used by KidsPeace to acquire a formal curriculum for its Independent Living program.
KidsPeace currently contracts with Columbia County Children & Youth Services to provide independent living services for youth ages 14 to 23 through its Bloomsburg office. The program is intended to improve the chances of a successful transition from foster care to independent living, helping to break the cycle of poverty and provide these youth a foundation for a successful, self-sufficient future.
In the program KidsPeace and CYS create an independent living plan for the young person, based on an assessment of their knowledge of needed skills. The program emphasizes education, employment, housing, transportation, health, drugs and alcohol use, and sexuality/reproductive health, among other relevant topics.
KidsPeace notes the FCFP grant will enhance the program through the purchase of the formal “Life Skills Reimagined” independent living curriculum. This trauma-informed evidence-based approach addresses the learning strengths and styles of today’s young people, and covers social/emotional skills as well as more tangible skills. It also is easily accessible online and through a smart device, and learners can complete the work in each topic at their own pace. In a study of 350 learners using the curriculum, youth knowledge increased 60% and confidence in independent living increased by 50%.
The First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania works to improve the quality of life in north central Pennsylvania through community leadership, the promotion of philanthropy, the strengthening of nonprofit impact and the perpetual stewardship of charitable assets. FCFP strives to create powerful communities through passionate giving. For more information visit www.FCFPartnership.org.
