Grants
Three Days Left—$1 Million for Community Youth Programs
DEADLINE: Friday, May 28
Family League of Baltimore, a vital city partner aligned in its work to the priorities of the Baltimore Children’s Cabinet, will invest $1 million to support community-based programs that provide children, youth and young adults ages 3-24 with a safe space to explore new ideas and opportunities, build skills, discover talents and experience overall success. This investment will expand Baltimore’s youth and young adult programming in community-based, non-school settings and fund both comprehensive and specialty programs operating in Baltimore. The application window closes this Friday, May 28.
COVID Relief Grants for Nonprofits—Up to $50,000
APPLICATION OPENS: Tuesday, June 1
Last week, Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced the Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund will issue a second round of grants to nonprofits: up to $50,000 to help address the ongoing negative financial impacts of COVID-19. The application window opens Tuesday, June 1.
Baltimore City and the Baltimore Civic Fund launched the fund last year, providing $5 million to 124 nonprofits to help cover unexpected COVID-19-related costs. In this second round of funding, nonprofits can use grant funds for a wider variety of needs as well as future programs and initiatives instead of only past costs. The Request for Proposals and grant application portal open Tuesday, June 1 and close Friday, July 23.
Partnership Opportunity
Contract to Provide Trauma-Informed Care Supports
Baltimore City Head Start is committed to making sure its 3- and 4-year olds and their families are fully supported when they return to centers in-person this fall. COVID-19 has magnified what were already high levels of toxic stress for Head Start students, families and staff pre-pandemic, and Baltimore City Head Start is seeking a partner to develop a comprehensive trauma-informed menu of social, emotional and mental health services to support families and staff throughout the transition to in-person operations. A renewable 10-month contract would run September 2021-June 2022 and services can include individual coaching, support and group work as well as other innovative and culturally sustaining strategies to help address pervasive trauma and stress. More information is coming soon, so stay tuned to bmorechildren.com/head-start for updates and an application link.
Building Resiliency
Mental Health Supports for Youth
Are you or a young person you know…?
- feeling confused or don’t know what to do
- having trouble finding the resources you need
- feeling lost in the system
- feeling alone and like there is no one to help
The Local Care Team for Baltimore City connects families of children and youth with intensive needs to the resources and solutions to be successful and thrive. Managed by the Family League of Baltimore, the Local Care Team coordinates across city agencies to open doors, brainstorm, share knowledge, advocate and develop strategies on our young people’s behalf.
Breaking Barriers to Support
Last week, the Mayor’s Office of Children & Family Success joined the Baltimore City Health Department, the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services and Behavioral Health System Baltimore to present to the Baltimore City Council on the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of city residents and the resources available to help cope with and recover from pandemic trauma.
The impact on children and youth has been especially stark: Nationally, children have shown a 24% increase in need for psychiatric hospitalization; for youth that increase is 31%. Closer to home, the adults caring for our children also have growing mental health needs: 1 in 3 Marylanders says the pandemic has left them feeling depressed and anxious. And in Baltimore, calls to the Baltimore Crisis hotline doubled early on in the pandemic, from 2,800 monthly calls in March 2020 to 5,700 by July.
Baltimore is home to so many mental health resources, and the Behavioral Health System Baltimore Here2Help Hotline—410-433-5175—is an excellent place to start. We also know that stigma around mental health is real, especially among young people, and it’s keeping them from accessing life-changing supports. This summer, the Baltimore Children’s Cabinet, in partnership with the Healing Youth Alliance and Wide Angle Youth Media, will kick off a youth-led media campaign to decrease stigma around mental health and raise awareness of services. Follow us @bmorechildren for details as they unfold.
Celebrating Resiliency In Our Black Boys and Young Men
How does being born in, raised in and living in Baltimore shape the minds and behaviors of boys and men of color? Resilience is the ability to withstand adversity and bounce back—how would you describe the ability of Baltimore’s boys and young men of color to be resilient?
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On Monday, June 14, the Baltimore Children's Cabinet will close out its monthly town hall series with an event that explores and builds on the resiliency of Baltimore’s Black boys and young men, and these two questions will guide the conversation. Register now. And more details coming your way @bmorechildren… |
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