Fostering Hope

Project Overview

4th Funding Cycle Development Award
     Project Start Date: 7/1/2008
     Project End Date: 6/30/2009

Project Goal Statement: The project aims to improve the foster care model by developing teams from faith communities that assist quality foster parents in their vocation, thus decreasing their attrition rate and consequently enhancing the well being of youth in foster care.

Original Award Amount: $50,000
Adjusted Award Amount: $45,636*

Community Partners:
Primary Community Partner: Colarelli Family Foundation
Additional community partner organization names:

• Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare
• Children's Hospital and Health System
• Children's Service Society of Wisconsin

Academic Partner:
Primary Academic Partner: Lynn Sheets, MD, Department of Pediatrics

Project Progress Summary Reports:
     Project Progress Report Summary 7/1/2008 - 4/30/2009
     Project Final Report Summary    

Affiliated Web Pages:
    Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare
    Children's Hospital and Health System / Children's Service Society of Wisconsin

Project Dissemination Efforts (as reported by project partners)

• Outreach Materials / Events
  • Hosted a summit in June 2009 to educate the larger public about the program
  • Attended the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare’s Partnership Council to brief its members and the wider community about the project
  • Briefed The Planning Council of Wisconsin on the project’s efforts in the Council’s study on improvement of child welfare in Milwaukee County

*In 2009 award amounts, based on the remaining budget, were adjusted to reflect the decline in endowment asset value due to the downturn in the economy.