The Pressley Ridge Treatment Foster Care Aftercare Program is designed to help strengthen families as youth exit treatment foster care. The goal of the program is to provide the resources necessary for parents to care for their child, including skill-building, while connecting the youth and family to needed community services such as medical, educational, vocational, and basic needs. The aftercare services enhancement is made possible through the BluePrints for the Community grant funding provided by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware.
“We are honored to receive this BluePrints for the Community grant,” said Coni Grant, Pressley Ridge Executive Director of MD and DE. “The funding will help to develop sustaining support systems for youth and their families as they transition out of foster homes and back to their families. The positive impact on these families will last for many years to come,” said Grant.
“Strengthening the familial connection and supporting those we serve through capacity building and resilience development are core to this program,” said Cha-Tanya Lankford, Director of Delaware Programs for Pressley Ridge. “Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware’s investment sets the groundwork for a future of positive outcomes for these families.”
Through this grant, Pressley Ridge will monitor and support the foster youth and family for a 90-day period, with a focus on activities that promote successful integration into the family, school, and community. The ultimate goal is for youth to remain healthy, continue to develop and progress, and avoid future out-of-home placements.
BluePrints for the Community awarded more than $1.1 million in funding to nine Delaware nonprofits in this grant cycle announced in September. Established as a donor-advised fund at the Delaware Community Foundation, BluePrints for the Community has contributed more than $16 million to the community since its inception in 2007. The fund supports projects that focus on social determinants of health, increasing access to health care, decreasing health disparities, early childhood health and health care workforce development.
“We are pleased to support Pressley Ridge and their expansion of services for youth leaving the foster care system in order to provide sufficient support for them and their families,” said Nick Moriello, president of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware. “Re-entry to home is exciting but challenging and it is imperative Delaware families get the help they need to transition children home safely and holistically.”
The BluePrints for Community Grant will provide funding for enhanced aftercare services for up to 25 youth and families in 2021.