Deadline: 15-Jun-21
The Colorado Health Foundation is seeking applications for Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregiver Supports to provide care for their young children (ages birth through eight) while parents are at work.
Family, friend and neighbor (FFN) care providers spend a substantial amount of time with children and play a critical role in supporting children’s health and early development.
This funding opportunity will support FFN caregivers to build their networks, increase access to information and resources and provide professional development in support of building stable, responsive relationships with children in their care. Eligible applicants include community-based organizations, community-based coalitions or public agencies that work with FFN caregivers serving Coloradans living on low income and those historically experiencing less power and privilege. Applicants are eligible to apply for up to two years of support.
Focus Area
Nurture Healthy Minds
Eligibility Criteria
- To be considered for funding, organizations must meet the following criteria:
- Align with the Foundation’s cornerstones and promote conditions for healthy social-emotional development and resilience of young children
- Establish the ability to outreach and engage the family, friend and neighbor caregiver population and utilize strong social and community networks
- Ensure capacity to offer culturally relevant program infrastructure and services
- Include family, friend and neighbor caregivers and/or families who serve in advisory and/or co-designer roles
- The Foundation is looking to support efforts that address one or more of the following:
- Enhance family, friend and neighbor caregiver ability to manage stress and support their own mental well-being
- Have improved access to culturally relevant resources in their communities to support their work and the families they serve
- Grow an understanding of healthy child social-emotional development and culturally relevant strategies while children are in their care
- Establish practices to foster strong partnerships with parents of the children that are in their care
- Preference will be given to programs/projects that:
- Focus on building the strength of caregivers as a way to improve the social-emotional development of children.
- Consider family, friend and neighbor caregiver well-being, including understanding and coping with stress.
- Acknowledge and build on the strengths of families and caregivers.
- Consider how trauma may impact families and caregivers and embody strategies that are sensitive to the hard realities and resiliency present in the care setting.
- Are based on input from caregivers, available information about local needs and lessons about what works in other places with similar characteristics.
- Consider multiple ways to reach caregivers to overcome barriers (e.g. online, training during nights and/or weekends, in-home supports, etc.)
- Examples of organizations considered for funding:
- Community-based nonprofits
- Community colleges
- Community-based coalitions
- Early childhood councils
- Family resource centers
- Local institutions who are viewed by community as trusted partners
- Public libraries
- Examples of efforts they hope to support:
- Knowledge of healthy childhood development, including strategies to advance social-emotional development of young children
- Supporting family, friend and neighbor caregivers’ understanding of trauma and mental health, and bolstering their own well-being
- Raising awareness of and connections to available resources to support caregivers and families receiving child care
- Practices to support positive relationships with families and sustainable care delivery
- Examples of activities they hope to support:
- Planning and outreach efforts to grow understanding of local family, friend and neighbor capacity and needs
- Established early childhood training programs made available to family, friend and neighbor caregivers
- Strategies that eliminate geographic barriers or barriers to in-person connections as a result of COVID19
- Efforts to leverage existing infrastructure to extend to family, friend and neighbor caregivers
- Home visitation programs for family, friend and neighbor homes (Virtual or in person) • Group training programs (Virtual or in person)
- Support groups (Virtual or in person)
For more information, visit https://coloradohealth.org/funding-opportunities/funding-opportunity-family-friend-and-neighbor-caregiver-supports