Today, the Dane County Department of Human Services (DCDHS) announced it has been awarded over $150,000 from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families’ Family First fund. The grant dollars will supplement Child Protective Service and Youth Justice wraparound funds to support families’ basic needs such as rent/utilities, food, childcare, and transportation. DCDHS will also use the funding to assist kin and like kin who are more likely to be persons of color from lower income households.
“This grant strengthens our ability to connect Dane County children, youth, families, and foster parents with the resources they need to thrive,” said Dane County Department of Human Services Interim Director Astra Iheukumere. “As the cost of living rises, securing basic needs has become more difficult. We thank the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families for this award and look forward to the opportunities it will create for positive outcomes in our community.”
DCDHS will use the award to support child reunification from out of home care, expanding the window of time that flexible funding is available to support families during this critical transition. Funds will also support youth as they transition out of court ordered placements and into independent living situations.
Through this award, caregivers will be able to receive a foster care grant until the licensing process is completed. Funding will also be used to provide required licensing items such as beds, fire alarms, and pet vaccinations, and may also involve helping pay for childcare costs until childcare subsidy and foster care payments begin. Grant dollars will support foster parents needing specialty items for children in care in order to help keep them from moving to higher levels of care.
A resolution to accept the $155,906 award from the Family First fund was introduced to the Dane County Board last month and will go before the Health & Human Needs Committee at tonight’s meeting. The resolution is expected to be approved by the Board in the coming weeks.
