This is reposted from the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties Facebook page with permission. This organization is the recipient of the Bryony cookbook.
On May 11, 2011, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties was one of 152 Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliates nationwide to receive notice that federal grant funding earmarked to serve high-risk children has been cut, effective September 29, 2011.
Big Brothers Big Sisters currently provides consistent, enduring, success-focused mentoring services through two 3-year Mentoring Children of Prisoners (MCP) grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children & Families (ACF).
In 2009, the agency received a $300,000 3-year grant to serve children of incarcerated parents in Will and Grundy Counties.
In 2010, the agency was part of an Illinois state-wide association of Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies that received a $4.5 million 3-year grant, and they use that funding to serve children of incarcerated parents in and Kankakee and Iroquois Counties.
“We received notice that no funding was appropriated in the FY 2011 budget to continue either of these grants,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters CEO Lisa Morel Las.
In April 2011, Congress passed and the President signed into law H.R.1473 that provides full year funding for the Federal Government for FY 2011. H.R. 1473 does not include a provision for the Mentoring Children of Prisoners (MCP) program and therefore, there was no funding appropriated to continue the MCP program.
The abrupt cancellation of the MCP program will require 152 agencies across the nation to transition or terminate services for 18,000 vulnerable children. Locally, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties serves approximately 500 children in Will, Grundy, Kankakee and Iroquois, and approximately 100 of these matches are supported by MCP grant funding.
“While we will do all we can to transition services for the children served locally under this grant – up to 100 children could have their matches prematurely terminated,” explained Las.
“Recognizing that the premature termination of a match can cause additional harm to already vulnerable children; the Board of Directors and I are working on focusing resources and utilizing the remaining funds effectively. Last week, we were forced to layoff two employees and are identifying and searching for alternate public or private funding to prevent premature termination of matches and more layoffs in September.”
Las notes, “We recognize that the federal deficit must be addressed for the sake of current and future generations, but feel strongly that good programs should be separated from those that don’t work. Research shows that positive outcomes increase with the use of evidence-based practices – which is what Big Brothers Big Sisters uses.”
Studies find when served by Big Brothers Big Sisters, these kids and others who face serious adversity have a greater chance than their peers for having positive relationship interactions and breaking cycles of crime, poverty and school under performance too often linked to youths in their circumstances.
“Investing in quality mentoring for at-risk children has a demonstrable return on investment. The short-term savings that will be realized with the cancellation of the MCP grants will have a lasting and negative impact on our nation and our youth,” says Las. “We will have to spend substantially more later in the child’s life - when these same young people who could have continued to be mentored in our program – become both the perpetrators and victims of crime.”
On May 11, 2011, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties was one of 152 Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliates nationwide to receive notice that federal grant funding earmarked to serve high-risk children has been cut, effective September 29, 2011.
Big Brothers Big Sisters currently provides consistent, enduring, success-focused mentoring services through two 3-year Mentoring Children of Prisoners (MCP) grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children & Families (ACF).
In 2009, the agency received a $300,000 3-year grant to serve children of incarcerated parents in Will and Grundy Counties.
In 2010, the agency was part of an Illinois state-wide association of Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies that received a $4.5 million 3-year grant, and they use that funding to serve children of incarcerated parents in and Kankakee and Iroquois Counties.
“We received notice that no funding was appropriated in the FY 2011 budget to continue either of these grants,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters CEO Lisa Morel Las.
In April 2011, Congress passed and the President signed into law H.R.1473 that provides full year funding for the Federal Government for FY 2011. H.R. 1473 does not include a provision for the Mentoring Children of Prisoners (MCP) program and therefore, there was no funding appropriated to continue the MCP program.
The abrupt cancellation of the MCP program will require 152 agencies across the nation to transition or terminate services for 18,000 vulnerable children. Locally, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties serves approximately 500 children in Will, Grundy, Kankakee and Iroquois, and approximately 100 of these matches are supported by MCP grant funding.
“While we will do all we can to transition services for the children served locally under this grant – up to 100 children could have their matches prematurely terminated,” explained Las.
“Recognizing that the premature termination of a match can cause additional harm to already vulnerable children; the Board of Directors and I are working on focusing resources and utilizing the remaining funds effectively. Last week, we were forced to layoff two employees and are identifying and searching for alternate public or private funding to prevent premature termination of matches and more layoffs in September.”
Las notes, “We recognize that the federal deficit must be addressed for the sake of current and future generations, but feel strongly that good programs should be separated from those that don’t work. Research shows that positive outcomes increase with the use of evidence-based practices – which is what Big Brothers Big Sisters uses.”
Studies find when served by Big Brothers Big Sisters, these kids and others who face serious adversity have a greater chance than their peers for having positive relationship interactions and breaking cycles of crime, poverty and school under performance too often linked to youths in their circumstances.
“Investing in quality mentoring for at-risk children has a demonstrable return on investment. The short-term savings that will be realized with the cancellation of the MCP grants will have a lasting and negative impact on our nation and our youth,” says Las. “We will have to spend substantially more later in the child’s life - when these same young people who could have continued to be mentored in our program – become both the perpetrators and victims of crime.”
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