Fedcap Receives a $1.6 Million Grant From the Hilton Foundation to Support Youth in Foster Care

New York City, NY, September 11, 2015 (Newswire.com) - ​​​​PrepNOW! is Fedcap’s national, one of a kind system-change initiative that supports foster parents in creating college-going cultures in their homes. It is the nation’s only professional development curriculum that is designed specifically for foster parents, aimed at increasing their motivation and capacity to help youth in foster care apply to, attend and graduate from college. The interactive curriculum is delivered by trained Success Mentors, who are retired professionals age 55+, in group settings or individually, in the homes of foster parents.

“We are tremendously grateful to the Conrad Hilton Foundation for their support of PrepNOW!  It is one of our most important tools in advancing our vision that all youth in foster care believe that they can go to college and have the support, guidance and encouragement to do so,” said Fedcap President and CEO Christine McMahon.

Matching retired professionals with foster parent caregivers in coaching them through creating a college going makes sense

Dr. Roque Gerald, Sr. Vice President/Education

PrepNOW! was started as a pilot in New York City under an initial grant from the Hilton Foundation. The $1.6 million grant will allow Fedcap to reach all 4800 foster parents in NYC through the agency’s partnerships with New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) and the 24 private foster care agencies located throughout the city,  and to launch PrepNOW! in Los Angeles County---one of the largest child welfare systems in the country.  

“We are thrilled with the work that Fedcap is doing”, said Jeannine Balfour, Senior Program Officer of the Conrad Hilton Foundation. 

Foster care is designed to be temporary, but there are many youth across the country who remain in care until they “age out” at 18 or 21. While seventy percent of these young people say that they want to attend college, because of the lack of supportive adults who encourage and guide them to attend college, only 10 percent enroll, and fewer than 3 percent graduate. PrepNOW! is designed to change these outcomes.

PrepNOW! is structured within 5 modules: Values, Motivation, Resiliency; Skills and Knowledge, and That All Important First Year.  It incorporates interactive tools that help foster parents assess their own values about education and college; create an environment that motivates youth to attend college, talk to youth about their future,  develop skills in academic advocacy, learn how to navigate the college application process, the FASFA, college essays, college tours, and much more.   Voices of youth who have transitioned from care, and struggled to get into college are woven throughout the course.

PrepNOW! also includes “The Step-by-Step Guide for Getting into College and Graduating,” an comprehensive guide written by youth in care for youth in care.