BOSTON, MA– Adoption & Foster Care Mentoring announced it has been awarded a Mentoring Matching Grant of $8,000 from the Mass Mentoring Partnership (MMP), the statewide organization fueling the movement to expand quality youth mentoring in Massachusetts. Adoption & Foster Care Mentoring (AFC) is one of 27 mentoring programs throughout the Commonwealth to receive a Mentoring Matching Grant.
Funding for the grants stems from the Mentoring Matching Grants line item in the Governor’s budget through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It was funded at $350,000 for FY13 – up from $250,000 last year and the highest amount awarded in five years. It is unique in its use of private-sector support, as grantees are required to match, dollar-for-dollar, the total amount awarded with cash or in-kind resources.
The Mentoring Matching Grant supports AFC’s one-to-one mentoring program through mentor recruitment and training materials, ongoing support services for mentor/mentee matches, and the expansion of AFC’s Program Staff Team. By increasing the size of AFC’s clinically-trained program staff and supporting the creation of targeted mentor recruitment materials, this grant will help AFC serve more young people through high-quality mentoring relationships.
“The Mentoring Matching Grant creates new opportunities for AFC Mentoring to expand our program capabilities and depth of mentoring services for foster and adopted youth,” said AFC Executive Director Colby Swettberg. “With the help of this grant, AFC proudly employs a full time team of clinically-trained Masters level program staff who have experience working with young people who face complex challenges in their ever changing home, school and community environments. We’re grateful to MMP for helping to fund committed high quality program staff positions which bring consistency to our long term mentoring relationships for youth.”
Funded programs are awarded through a competitive RFP process and community review administered by MMP, and receive training, technical support, and mentor recruitment assistance from MMP.
“We are thrilled to be able to award Adoption & Foster Care Mentoring with a Mentoring Matching Grant,” MMP CEO Marty Martinez said. “This important funding will allow AFC Mentoring to support their matches with quality-based, research-driven practices that ensure youth are given every opportunity to succeed.”
Across Massachusetts, Mentoring Matching Grants will create 800 high-quality matches – 200 more than last year. It will also support existing matches, leading to increased academic achievement, lower dropout rates, and reduced juvenile delinquency and engagement in risky behaviors. Additionally, it will leverage at least 26,000 volunteer hours through the adult mentors.
About Mass Mentoring Partnership
Mass Mentoring Partnership is the only statewide organization dedicated to strategically expanding quality mentoring to meet the needs of youth across Massachusetts. MMP serves more than 200 organizations statewide supporting 23,000 youth in mentoring relationships. For more information: www.massmentors.org.
