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Proposal to the Packard Foundation

Improving Educational Outcomes for Foster Youth in Monterey County

Submitted by: Paul Bonwich, Lily Busher, Gaelen Hayes, and Nolan Sutker

May 6th, 2014

Peacock Acres Serving Foster Youth in Monterey County

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Contents Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………… 3-4

Problem Statement…………………………………………………………………………..4-6

Approach…………………………………………………………………………………………7-11

Monitoring and Evaluation……………………………………………………………12-13

Proposed Budget………………………………………………………………………….......14

Appendix A: Organizational Background…………………………………………….15

Appendix B: Learning Center Activity Timeline………………………………16-17

Appendix C: Proposal Budget Explanation of Costs……………………….18-19

Appendix D: Learning Center Full Program Budget…………………………….20

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Executive Summary After playing soccer outside with his friends in the streets of Salinas, Mario returns home to find that his parents have disappeared. Hours, then days, go by and there is no sign of his parents. It is not the first time this has happened, but after two weeks a representative from Child Protective Services knocks on the door and tells him that he is being moved to a new home, and he will never see his parents again. One of the biggest challenges facing primary and secondary educational systems today is how to accommodate students who have faced significant social and psychological trauma in their lives. As one of the largest groups in this category, foster youth consistently face an uphill battle within the school system, and a multitude of statistics show that they perform well below their peers in a wide variety of categories, including performance at grade level, drop-out rates, and prevalence of learning disabilities.1 Many of these results stem from the transitive nature of foster care, as well as an overall lack of stability that often does not allow for the kind of focused attention that most foster youth need to overcome barriers to educational and personal success. In California, some advances have been made to address the gap between the inadequacies of the larger school system and foster youth. Through the Foster Youth Service program, which offers opportunities such as additional extracurricular activities and tutoring, students received some support, but it only meets part of the great need in this vulnerable population. Peacock Acres is a local community leader in the city of Salinas with over 30 years of experience in foster care. In 2011, Peacock Acres developed The Learning Center (TLC) to leverage its institutional knowledge and track record of success in order to improve educational outcomes for existing and future foster youth clients in the city of Salinas. Through the provision of a safe, therapeutic space for foster youth to tackle educational and personal goals, the Learning Center offers a unique community-centered approach in its programming to serve clients as well as its long-term institutional goals. Utilizing a long-term service learning partnership with local California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB), the Learning Center pairs college-aged volunteers with foster youth students, building a positive personal connection through mentorship and tutoring. In conjunction with the daily Morning School and After School programs during the week, students who are not prepared to attend public school work at their own individual pace with specialized educational mentorship and support. Beyond the confines of the Learning Center, foster youth clients also engage with the community through partnerships to develop positive relationships and new skills. In a new step for the program, Peacock Acres will not only increase the number of community collaboration partners and field trip opportunities for clients, but also organize local workshops and a first-

1 Barrat, V. X., & Berliner, B. (2013). The Invisible Achievement Gap, Part 1: Education Outcomes of Students in

Foster Care in California’s Public Schools. San Francisco: WestEd.

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ever regional conference for foster-care stakeholders titled “Collaborative Approaches to Foster Youth Programming in Northern California.” Since the program started, data collected from surveys has shown excellent progress in improving educational outcomes. In an effort to expand methods of data collection and self-evaluation, Peacock Acres will implement a robust monitoring and evaluation system that incorporates a more rigorous and comprehensive approach to tracking results. To support the annual activities of the Learning Center, Peacock Acres is seeking $39,000 for 2014-2015. This funding will cover programmatic expenses, as well as the new monitoring and evaluation program. Ultimately, the requested funding will strengthen the program, raise the profile of the organization in the community, and expand opportunities for local fundraising to sustain the program in the future.

Problem Statement Foster children face many challenges in their daily lives that are frequently overlooked and unaddressed. The case of a foster youth named Mario illustrates some of the typical trials that prevent foster youth from realizing their full potential. Mario is 12 years old and has been in the foster system since being removed from his family at the age of six due to neglect and drug use. He never sees his parents and lacks the support of a family network that many none foster youth rely on for positive influence, mentorship, and belonging. He frequently changes foster homes, leading him to believe that he is not wanted and is a burden on those who are forced to care for him. Many aspects of his life are constantly changing, from the rules in the home where he lives, to the material he studies in class and the children in his peer group. He is already falling behind in his new school, and sees no hope for improvement. He is disengaged class, leading his teachers to label him with ADHD. Due to class sizes, his teachers are not able to give him the individualized attention and support he needs to catch up and succeed in school. Furthermore, he sees himself as a foster child, an identity which limits the development of his self-esteem and contributes to his growing apathy towards life. While fictionalized, Mario represents of some of the many visible and underlying issues that contribute to foster children performing significantly below their contemporaries in academic settings and in overall positive life outcomes. Foster youth are increasingly recognized for the unique obstacles they face in their academic performance and future success. The California Legislative Office, for example, reports that 75% percent of foster children perform below grade level, 83% of foster children have already been held back at least one grade by the time they reach third grade, and only 45% of foster children continue their education through high school, giving them the highest dropout rate of all at risk groups.2

2 Legislative Analysts Office www.lao.ca.gov

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A 2010 study commissioned by the Stuart Foundation found that California foster youth have unique characteristics that separate them from other at risk groups and call for special considerations. The California Standards Test (CST) shows that these children consistently fail to meet the requirements for elementary mathematics, secondary mathematics, and English language arts. Their scores on this test are comparable to English language learners and children with disabilities,3 and this disadvantage places them at greater risk of dropping out before graduating from high school. One of the primary characteristics that influences foster youth academic motivation and performance is a lack of stability throughout their lives. According to the Stuart Foundation, one in ten foster children attend three or more different schools in one school year, and around one third of foster children change schools at least once per academic year.4 The perpetual changing of houses and schools makes it difficult for foster children to form lasting connections or develop a reliable support network. Furthermore, this forces them to constantly adjust to new teaching styles and peers. The lack of constancy in their education makes it difficult for foster youth to engage in the learning process and excel academically. The nature of foster care system itself presents additional issues. Many foster children are placed in the system due to a history of abuse or neglect in their family homes. These early traumas place foster students at a great disadvantage from a young age, and predispose them toward incarceration, unemployment, and substance abuse.5 A 2010 research study by the Children’s Advocacy Institute reports that nearly half of foster children leaving the system are moving into unstable living situations that put them at great risk for homelessness.6 Furthermore, many foster care systems provide few opportunities for emotional growth, lasting healthy peer interactions, and the provision of positive adult influence7. Given the challenges foster youth face on a regular basis, even the most resilient foster children are at high risk for feelings of isolation, self-doubt, and depression.8 All of these factors act as barriers to educational attainment and contribute to negative academic and social experiences while attending school. While the number of children in foster care has declined in California overall, in Monterey County the number of children in foster care has not declined, and is even growing9. According

3 Barrat, V. X., & Berliner, B. (2013). The Invisible Achievement Gap, Part 1: Education Outcomes of Students in

Foster Care in California’s Public Schools. San Francisco: WestEd. 4 Ibid.

5 Supporting THP+ for California’s Emancipating Foster Youth: A compilation of Statistics (May 2006). John Burton

Foundation for Children without Homes. www.JohnBurtonFoundation.org. 6 The Fleecing of Foster Children (2011). Children’s Advocacy Institute of the University Of San Diego School Of

Law. 7 Mentoring Youth in Foster Care. http://msiy.edc.org/

8 Mentoring Children in Foster Care: Considerations and Partnership Strategies for Senior Corps Directors. LEARNS.

Portland 9 Needell, B., et al. (Apr. 2013). Child Welfare Services Reports for California, U.C. Berkeley Center for Social

Services Research; U.S. data come from Child Trends analysis of Adoption & Foster Care Analysis & Reporting System data by the National Data Archive on Child Abuse & Neglect, as cited on KIDS COUNT (Apr. 2013).

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to the Monterey County Office of Education, Monterey County foster youth face many short and long term challenges in school. Histories of abuse and neglect and frequent changes in placement while in foster care contribute to behavior problems in the classroom and reduced academic attainment10. In California, the average class size is 21.611, however in Salinas, where the learning center is located, the average class size for middle school is 26.6712. The large class size in Salinas prevents disadvantaged youth, such as foster children, from receiving critical individualized attention, which contributes to the many barriers they face in achieving optimal educational outcomes. The state of California has attempted to address some these issues through the creation of Foster Youth Service (FYS) programs. These programs are targeted to foster youth living in group or foster homes and offer tutoring and educational monitoring. Some also offer additional extracurricular options to serve the needs of foster children who cannot participate in school activities due to frequent relocation. However, the Legislative Analyst’s Office of California reports that many foster youth still lack dedicated educational monitoring, while participation restrictions and lack of transportation options limit foster youth access to the FYS programs and needed support services.13 FYS programs have proved insufficient for serving the needs of foster youth and have failed to improve educational attainment. The Learning Center at Peacock Acres endeavors to close this gap in Monterey County through its holistic approach to foster youth education and support.

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Monterey County Office of Education: Foster Youth Services. http://www.monterey.k12.ca.us/student-

services/foster 11

National Center for Education Statistics. http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/SASS/tables/sass0708_2009324_t1s_08.asp 12

http://california-schools.findthebest.com/ 13

Legislative Analyst’s Office www.lao.ca.gov

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Program Approach *See Appendix A for Organizational Background and Learning Center Staff Responsibilities *See Appendix B for Project Activity Timeline

The Learning Center at Peacock Acres (TLC) Since its creation in 2011, the Learning Center at Peacock Acres (TLC) provides foster youth, primarily of middle-school age, a supportive environment to focus on individual and personal growth. Typical students are like Mario; lost disengaged, and in need of a holistic support system. TLC is designed to help students like Mario and provide new hope for foster youth in the Salinas community. TLC is composed of Peacock Acres Staff, volunteer-mentors, and a physical safe space with academic supplies and a separate commons area where students can relax after completing their work. Students are either enrolled in the Learning Center’s Home Charter School Morning Program or After-School Program. The Morning Program is a home school environment where students enrolled in the Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) Home Charter School complete assignments and obtain credits in a safe and supportive space. Students that do not thrive in a traditional public school are able to prosper in the therapeutic Learning Center. Morning Program participants are additionally encouraged to take part in the After-School Program and be matched with a volunteer-mentor.

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At TLC, our program goals are directly linked to our activities to best support foster youth in reaching past their circumstances and realizing their full potential. Additionally, TLC works with several community partners to increase personal development opportunities for foster youth outside of the TLC center and engage the Salinas and regional community in discussions about foster youth and holistic programming to support them. Please see the proposed programming timeline in Appendix B. Goal 1: To improve educational outcomes for foster youth in Monterey County through the provision of a safe, stable learning environment.

Outcomes Indicators Main activities

– Foster youth are more actively engaging in their own education, demonstrating improved social behavior and improved grades at school

– Foster youth feel supported by and held accountable to active stakeholders in their lives.

– Individual foster youth improve their grades by 15% during the 2014-2015 academic year.

– Problematic students in public school have 50% reduced discipline problems during the 2014-2015 academic year.

– Volunteer Mentor Surveys during the 2014-2015 academic year indicate that foster youth receive an average 6 or higher in the categories “Student’s Ability to Concentrate”, “Enthusiasm towards work”, and “General Behavior,” demonstrating increased engagement with learning.

– Social Workers and Teachers are present at minimum 75% of ICP meetings with foster youth and TLC staff during the 2014-2015 academic year.

– Volunteer Mentoring

– Volunteer Mentor Survey

– Individual Case Plan (ICP) Creation and Review

– Social Worker and Teacher Visits

These outcomes will be supported through volunteer mentoring, individual case plan creation and review, social worker and teacher visits. We now briefly describe each. Volunteer Mentoring: Through partnership with the California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) Service Learning Institute, Peacock Acres hosted over 50 local volunteers in 2013. Next year, TLC hopes to host 70 volunteers. Each volunteer goes through multiple trainings and orientations, and then is placed with an individual foster youth client. Each volunteer commits to providing at least 30 hours of mentorship over the course of an academic semester, although many choose to spend additional time with the students. In the short term, volunteers provide students with daily tutoring, help with homework assignments, and motivation to work harder in school and vocational support. In the long term, they also help youth establish strong, positive

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relationships with adults and building a supportive network. The student-mentor relationship is based on encouragement and confidence in the student’s abilities.

It is critical that TLC staff have the time and ability to properly train and manage the volunteers. This leads to volunteers with greater investment in their assigned foster youth client, and builds the foundation for a sustainable program.

Volunteer Mentor Survey Every day, volunteers complete a Volunteer Mentor Survey that collects data about a student’s enthusiasm, confidence, and willingness to work. Specifically, volunteers rate the student’s ability to concentrate, his or her enthusiasm towards work, and general behavior on a 1-10 scale and provide detailed feedback explaining their rating. TLC staff use this information to gauge client progress, and constitutes a significant component of their daily work. Individual Case Plan Creation and Review: Upon starting at TLC, every new foster youth client develops an Individualized Case Plan with the support of TLC staff, foster parents, and assigned social workers. The youth work towards three specific goals, one of which is focused on academics. The other two goals may be academic or oriented towards personal or future professional development. To ensure that the academic goals are met, TLC provides access to computers and additional educational supplies for the successful completion of school projects and homework. The case plan is developed and evaluated with important actors in the student’s life to create continuous support and increase the chance of success. Additionally, foster youth are partnered with a community volunteer who assists them in reaching their aims. Upon achievement of the first three goals, the foster youth and their support team will create new goals that continue to build the student’s confidence academically and personally. Through individualized focus in a supportive environment, TLC helps strengthen opportunities for the youth’s successful transition into independence. Given the importance of the case plans, TLC staff devote significant time to monitoring and assessing progress to ensure the clients are getting the most out of the program. Social Worker and Teacher Visits: In conjunction with individualized focus, TLC schedules weekly check-ins with teachers, continual communication and updates on academic progress with caregivers, and regular meetings with social workers, therapists and CASA advocates. These visits are usually held at Peacock Acres, but there are times where TLC staff go out to schools and meet with stakeholders in the community. This constant communication helps the student meet high expectations and be accountable to supporters.

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Goal 2: To increase opportunities for personal development through continuous community and regional engagement in foster youth programs.

Outcomes Indicators Main activities

– Community partners are reliable, friendly, and supportive; provide personal development opportunities for foster youth and additional stakeholders.

– Foster youth learn more about their personal interests, develop skills, and form stable connections.

– Foster youth service providers in the Northern California region engage in knowledge sharing.

– Field trip opportunities increase by 15% during the 2014-2105 academic year.

– Weekly skill-building, extracurricular activities provided by community partners for the foster youth community increase by 15% during the 2014-2015 academic year.

– Four local workshops and a regional foster youth stakeholder conference hosted by TLC will be held in Monterey County by April 2015.

– Collaboration with Community Partners

– Field Trips: Local and Out of Area

– Volunteer and Community Workshops

– Regional Conference – Design and Recruitment

for Workshops and Regional Conference

These outcomes will be supported through collaboration with community partners, field trips, volunteer and community workshops and a regional conference. We now briefly describe each. Increased Collaboration with Community Partners Apart from academic support, Peacock Acres has ongoing community partnerships outside of the Learning Center that provide developmental opportunities for the foster youth clients. For example, Peacock Acres works with an equine learning program designed to help local kids with social and emotional difficulties called “Hope, Horses, and Kids.” Through these types of partnerships, students are exposed to a variety of new experiences and ways of life. Peacock Acres will seek additional community partnerships to broaden the Learning Center experience for clients, particularly in area of sports and recreation. To support the clients, TLC will cover all costs of their participation in these programs. Relatedly, TLC encourages a lifestyle of healthy living for the foster youth clients, therefore infusing the program with greater emphasis on nutrition and exercise is a top priority.

Field Trips - Local and Out of Area: For the upcoming year, TLC will organize five local field trips and two field trips outside of Monterey Bay to the San Francisco Exploratorium and the California State Capitol to give foster youth clients a unique opportunity to take in different environments and show their potential if they continue to work towards their goals. Through these field trips, foster youth will be able to explore vocational opportunities, participate in team-building activities, and learn more about the area they live in. Planned local trips with associated transportation and fees include:

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- Big Sur State Park - Asilomar State Beach - Monterey Bay Aquarium - Fort Ord Sand Dunes State Park - Pacific Grove Natural History Museum

Each of these fieldtrips will offer the opportunity for TLC clients to tie their academic and personal goals to something tangible, as well as encourage appreciation of the environment in the emphasis on outdoor activities. To make the field trips available to all TLC clients who are interested, the participation costs will be covered by Peacock Acres.

Volunteer and Community Workshops As part of outreach to the community, TLC will hold four local workshops on topics that affect foster youth in the city of Salinas and Monterey County in 2014. These workshops will be led by Peacock Acres staff, open to the wider community, and targeted towards parents who are considering or currently participating in foster care programs. Four proposed topics are “How to be a Good Parent,” “Preventive Foster Care,” “Helping Struggling Foster Students,” “How to Engage At-Risk Youth with Behavior Issues.” Through leading these workshops at TLC, Peacock Acres will continue to build its community leadership. Peacock Acres expects to host the workshops at either the TLC or at donated facilities in the community.

Regional Conference Peacock Acres seeks to expand the workshop format into one large scale conference that is catered to organizations with a similar structure and/or mission who wish to improve their services. With the theme of “Collaborative Approaches to Foster Youth Programming in Northern California,” this one-day conference will include panel and roundtable discussions for 150-200 contributors. Participants will include organizations and institutions that focus on after-school foster youth programs in Monterey County, San Mateo, Santa Clara, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties. Scheduled for early spring in 2015, the intent of this conference is to call greater attention to foster youth educational gaps and devise holistic strategies that are relevant for service providers and educational policymakers. The main outcome at the conclusion will be the creation of an action plan that moves towards improved collaboration and sharing of practices across the region, ultimately leading to better service for foster youth clients. Design and Recruitment for Workshops and Regional Conference In order to effectively design and recruit for the workshops and regional conference, TLC will create and distribute marketing materials to relevant stakeholders such as public schools, the CSUMB Service Learning Center, and local government institutions. TLC staff will contact organizations outside of Monterey County to discuss participation in the regional conference, as well as develop the agenda and conference logistics. As needed, TLC will recruit local interpreters, including Translation and Interpretation graduate students at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, to support these events.

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Program Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring On an ongoing basis, TLC expends considerable effort to measure client progress with respect to behavioral change, attendance, academics, and engagement in the community. In large part, the daily review of individualized case plans provide the most frequent means of assessment, and is supplemented by weekly meetings with teachers and assigned social workers. Additionally, TLC tracks daily surveys from community volunteer-mentors and uses this information to develop a clearer picture about the impact of the TLC program on individual foster youth clients. Taking into account existing practices and the new elements of this proposal, the following monitoring plan will be utilized:

Goal 1: To improve educational outcomes for foster youth in Monterey County through the provision of a safe, stable learning environment.

Program Indicator Measurement Frequency Person (s) responsible

Individual foster youth improve their grades by 15% during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Mentor surveys

Attendance logs

Daily TLC Program Managers and Volunteer Mentors

Problematic students in public school have 50% reduced discipline problems during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Report card review

Teacher reports

Individual Case Plans

Daily for case plans; weekly/quarterly for grades and teacher reports

TLC Program Managers

Volunteer Mentor Surveys indicate that foster youth receive an average “6”or higher in the categories “Student’s Ability to Concentrate”, “Enthusiasm towards work”, and “General Behavior.”

Mentor surveys Daily TLC Program Managers

Social Workers and Teachers are present at minimum 75% of ICP meetings with foster youth and TLC staff during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Attendance logs Monthly TLC Program Managers

Goal 2: To increase opportunities for personal development through continuous community and regional engagement in foster youth programs.

Field trip opportunities increase by 15% during the 2014-2105 academic year.

# of new field trip opportunities

Bi-annually TLC Program Managers

Weekly skill-building, extracurricular activities provided by community partners for the foster youth

Number of available organizations for

Monthly TLC Program Managers, Peacock Acres

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community increase by 15% during the 2014-2015 academic year.

collaboration

Foster youth attendance reporting

Director of Development

Four local workshops and a regional foster youth stakeholder conference hosted by TLC will be held in Monterey County by April 2015.

# of events held

# of attendees

# of post-event action plans created

Quarterly Peacock Acres Director of Development

Evaluation Although TLC makes monitoring an important part of its activities, significant gaps exist due to the lack of coordinated data collection to serve programmatic objectives. For example, a wealth of quantitative and qualitative data has been collected, but it has not been operationalized to benefit the overall program, aside from the client-specific individualized case plans. As a result, it is difficult for Peacock Acres to determine appropriate program baselines, and since the creation of TLC it has never conducted a formal evaluation. Furthermore, the intensive effort of organizing and implementing an internal evaluation is not feasible due to lack of staff overtime and other commitments, so Peacock Acres believes it is best served by hiring an experienced evaluation consultant from Monterey County. In order to optimize the time and effort of the consultant, the evaluation work will be carried out in four stages:

Stage 1: Terms of Reference/Evaluation Design – 1 week

Stage 2: Establish baseline and metrics – 1 week After six months, the consultant will return to assess the program based on the baseline and new methods of measurement:

Stage 3: Data collection and review – 1 week

Stage 4: Interviews and presentation of evaluation report – 1 week During the evaluation, TLC program staff, volunteer-mentors, and key program partners (including select social workers and teachers) will be available for key informant interviews with the consultant, with the possibility of additional qualitative research methods such as focus groups. Additionally, TLC program staff will be trained on the new metrics and data collection methods for future internal evaluations. The main outcome of the consultant-led program evaluation is that TLC will able to accurately and meaningfully self-evaluate and track the overall progress of its program. TLC’s new professionalized monitoring and evaluation activities will reduce inefficiencies in effort, and put the program on a path for regional leadership amongst foster care community organizations.

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Program Sustainability Taking into account the proposed evaluation and the composition of the new collaboration activities, TLC is heavily oriented towards long-term sustainability. After the completion of the first formal program evaluation, TLC will have the ability to self-evaluate and maximize its resources to better serve the foster youth clients. Therefore, the one-time expense for an experienced consultant will have long-term benefits. Furthermore, outreach and collaboration efforts in the community improve TLC’s visibility as well as the opportunity to gain valuable lessons learned from other similarly-focused foster care organizations. In particular, the first-ever foster youth conference in Monterey will garner considerable attention, allowing Peacock Acres to highlight TLC’s work as well as network with supporters and local funders interested in collaborations and potential sponsorships. All of these efforts will enhance the community profile of the organization, leading towards its goal of becoming a regional leader amongst foster care organizations in California.

Proposed Budget *see Appendix C for Proposal Budget Explanation of Costs and Appendix D for Full Learning Center Program Budget

Budget Line Item Description Cost

Program staff pay $ 4,500.00

Program-related staff transportation expenses $ 500.00

Local and out-of-area field trip excursions for foster youth $ 4,000.00

Collaboration Activities $ 10,000.00

- One (1) regional foster youth conference in Monterey

- Three (3) local workshops for parents in Salinas and Monterey

Monitoring and Evaluation $ 20,000.00 - External consultant support for four weeks

Total Requested Funding $ 39,000.00

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Appendix A: Organizational Background and TLC Staff Responsibilities Based in the city of Salinas and operating since 1983, Peacock Acres is the only organization in Monterey County that holistically supports and cares for Monterey County's current and former foster youth. In addition to The Learning Center, Peacock Acres offers five additional programs that serve its clients and the wider community: Therapeutic Group Homes for Boys: these Level 10 group homes, for boys aged 7-17, are licensed by the State of California Department of Social Services and accredited by the California Alliance of Children and Family Services to provide 24-hour residential care and a therapeutic environment for boys removed from their families by Child Protective Services. Transitional Housing Placement Program (THPP): this program is designed for foster teens, aged 16-18, who are ready to practice their independent living skills with less direct supervision. Teens (same sex) live in a three or four bedroom home in a residential neighborhood. A supervisor lives in the home and promotes independent living skills. Peacock Acres Transitional Housing (PATH+): this program is provider for Monterey County’s THP-Plus, a statewide California program for emancipated foster youth, aged 18 to 24. THP-Plus offers qualified youth up to 24 months of subsidy in a supported environment while they pursue their formalized Transitional Independent Living Plan (T.I.L.P.) Incarceration To Success (I2S): starting as a pilot program in 2004, I2S provides transitional living services for specifically chosen probation youth, aged 16-19, who are completing their period of incarceration in Monterey County’s Youth Center in Salinas, California. Transitional Housing Placement + Foster Care (THP+FC): designed specifically for 18-21 year olds still currently in foster care who are requesting to keep their care open as a non-minor dependents. This transitional housing program covers youth that are not ready to exit out of foster care, but are prepared to take on more independence and freedom.

Staff Responsibilities TLC has three part-time staff members that focus on different aspects of program success:

Morning School Program Manager - manages all assignments and relationships with the Monterey County Home Charter School, and works to track progress and manage volunteers.

After-School Coordinator - helps develop relationships between students and volunteers, and manages all program-related activities in the After-School program.

Volunteer Coordinator - provides oversight of the program and data collection. Additionally, this individual is also the external driver and recruiter of students and volunteer-mentors, and is constantly in the community presenting to organizations about how they can be more involved.

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Appendix B: Learning Center Activity Timeline

Activities JUL AUG SEP

OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

Goal 1: To improve educational outcomes for foster youth in Monterey County through the provision of a safe, stable learning environment.

TLC Direct Foster Youth Support Programming

Volunteer Mentor

support to clients

X X X X X X X X X X

Volunteer Mentor

Survey

X X X X X X X X X X

Create Individual Case

Plan

X X X X X X X X X X

Social worker and

teacher visits

X X X X X X X X X X

Review Individual

Case Plan

X X X X X X X X X X

Goal 2: To increase opportunities for personal development through continuous community and regional

engagement in foster youth programs.

Community Development and Outreach

Local Field Trips X X X X

Collaboration with

local community

partners

X X X X X X X X X X X X

Out of area field trips X X

Volunteer and Community Conferences

Volunteer and X X

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community seminars

Design and recruit

participants for

locally-held regional

conference

X X

Arrange logistics and

transportation for

conference

X X

Regional conference X

TLC Program Evaluation

Evaluation Design and

Terms of Reference

X

Development of

metrics and baseline

X

Data Collection X X X X X X

Review of data and

interviews/focus

groups

X

Evaluation report and

presentation

X

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Appendix C: Proposal Budget Explanation of Costs

Program Goal Associated Activities Budget Summary Total

Goal 1: To improve educational outcomes for foster youth in Monterey County through the provision of a safe, stable learning environment.

Volunteer Mentor support to clients

Volunteer Mentor Survey

TLC Staff Pay – volunteer coordination and training

$ 2,250.00

Create Individual Case Plan

Social worker and teacher visits

Review Individual Case Plan

TLC Staff Pay – developing case plans, monitoring, and other direct program-related activities Program-related staff transportation expenses – for off-site meetings with community stakeholders and support of off-site client activities during non-working hours

$ 2,750.00

Goal 2: To increase opportunities for personal development through continuous community and regional engagement in foster youth programs.

Local Field Trips (ex. Monterey Aquarium)

Collaboration with local community partners

Out of area field trips

Local and out of area field trips – transportation and associated costs for five local and two non-local field trips

$4,000.00

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Volunteer and community seminars

Design and recruit participants for locally-held regional conference

Arrange logistics and transportation for conference

Regional conference

Collaboration Activities: Four local workshops - printing materials, interpreter hire, marketing costs Regional conference – facility rental, food/refreshments, printing/materials, marketing and outreach costs, parking supplement to attendees

$10,000.00

Program Evaluation Evaluation Design and Terms of Reference

Development of metrics and baseline

Data Collection

Review of data and interviews/focus groups

TLC Program Evaluation report and presentation

External consultant – calculated at rate of $100/hour for 200 hours of work over the course of four weeks.

$20,000.00

Cumulative Total $39,000.00

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Appendix D: Full Learning Center Program Budget (Request to Packard Foundation highlighted in green)

Actual

(Leave this column blank until

the final grant report)

Packard Foundation $ 39,000.00 $ 35,000.00

Monterey Peninsula Foundation $ 20,000.00 $ 20,000.00

Nancy Buck Ransom Foundation $ 8,000.00 $ 8,000.00

Community Foundation For Monterey County $ 10,000.00 $ 10,000.00

Art 4 Moore Arts Grant $ 5,000.00 $5,000.00

Birdies For Chairty $ 1,250.00 $ 1,250.00

Monterey County Gives! $ 250.00 $ 250.00

5K Turkey Trot and Dog Walk $ 1,000.00 $ 1,000.00

Restricted Donations from Individuals $ 500.00 $ 500.00

Unrestricted Donations from individuals $ 1,500.00 $ 1,500.00

Total Income $ 39,000.00 $ 35,000.00 $ 8,000.00 $ 4,500.00 $ 86,500.00

Actual

(Leave this column blank until

the final grant report)

Direct Youth Support

Transportation $ 7,200.00 $ 7,200.00

Groceries, Food $ 900.00 $ 900.00

Household/Classroom Supplies $ 900.00 $ 900.00

Work Related Expenses (Evaluation) $ 1,200.00 $ 1,200.00

Educational Supplies $ 780.00 $ 780.00

Miscellaneous $ -

Recreation/Entertainment $ 3,000.00 $ 3,000.00

Publications/Postage $ 300.00 $ 300.00

Computer Virus Programs $ 300.00 $ 300.00

Software/Equipment/Furnishings $ -

Total Direct Youth Support $ - $ 11,580.00 $ - $ 3,000.00 $ 14,580.00

Housing/Office Expenses $ -

Utilities (trash, electricity, etc.) $ 1,200.00 $ 1,200.00

Telephone $ -

Repairs & Maintenance $ -

Rent $ 5,520.00 $ 5,520.00

Total Housing Costs $ - $ 6,720.00 $ - $ - $ 6,720.00

Staffing and Administration $-

Administration Costs (Liability, Professional Services $ 1,200.00 $ 1,200.00 $ 2,400.00

Staff Payroll, Outreach, Job Development Networking,

Community Outreach $ 5,000.00 $ 8,600.00 $ 8,000.00 $ 21,600.00

Local and out of area field trips $ 4,000.00

Collaboration Activities $ 10,000.00

Payroll Taxes & Benefits $ 5,400.00 $ 5,400.00

Staff Development and Training $ 1,200.00 $ 1,200.00

Volunteer Development and Training $ 300.00 $ 300.00 $ 600.00

Monitoring and Evaluation $20,000

Total Staffing and Administration Costs $ 39,000.00 $ 16,700.00 $ 8,000.00 $ 1,500.00 $ 31,200.00

$ -

Total Expenses $ 39,000.00 $ 35,000.00 $ 8,000.00 $ 4,500.00 $ 86,500.00

Request to: Packard Foundation

Expenses: Packard Other Proposals (Other Source) Program Revenue TOTAL

Sources of Funds:

Income: Packard Other Proposals Committed Funds Program Revenue TOTAL

MONTEREY COUNTY AREA GRANTMAKERS

PROGRAM/PROJECT BUDGET

Organization Name: Peacock Acres Inc

Program Name: The Learning Center at Peacock Acres

Program Date: 7/1/14– 6/30/15