Kern Partnership for Children and Families

Sierra Grant: $5,000 in the 2nd quarter of 2018

Mission: Thousands of low-income and foster children in Kern County have needs that cannot be met through government assistance. The Kern Partnership for Children and Families was formed to meet those needs.

All the non-profits we collaborate with have a vision for their community—what’s your vision?

The Kern Partnership for Children and Families is a non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization, affiliated with the Kern County Department of Human Services. Together, they see the widening gap between what families need and what government can provide. By joining with business, faith-based, and other local community-based organizations, our agencies can strengthen the support network within our community. When we combine our strength, we can all do more to support stability, self-sufficiency, and success for Kern County children and families.

Describe your organization and/or the work you do in three words.

We help families.

What specific work have you been using donations to accomplish recently?

The community’s support has helped with school supplies and graduation incentives, housing and household items for foster youth, Holiday Cottage gifts for foster children, emergency funds, services for pregnant and parenting teens, needed support for the Jamison Children’s Center, scholarships for our youth, and funding for the Harvest of Hope, a children’s garden project at Jamison Children’s Center.

Do you have an individual success story to share from your organization’s efforts?

Bank of the Sierra employees should feel very proud that every one of the dollars donated to The Kern Partnership for Children and Families goes directly to help the children and the families chosen to participate in Operation Fresh Start: no funds are set aside for salaries, program administration, advertising, printing, or public relations. It all goes to the beneficiaries!

One resource family has come forward with their testimonial of how much Operation Fresh Start has helped their family. This young family of four has opened their home and hearts to take placement of four additional foster children. As their family doubled in size overnight, the social worker working with this family offered the Operation Fresh Start Program to them. Operation Fresh Start was explained as a support program to get immediate essential items that the foster youth would benefit from such as new clothes and shoes or school supplies. Often times, foster children do not have enough or even any essential items to accompany them to a new placement. When asked if the Operation Fresh Start Program met the needs of the foster children, this family enthusiastically stated “Yes!” They also mentioned how the children’s faces lit up when they opened up their individual bags and saw that all the items purchased were customized specifically for them. This resource (foster) family explained how grateful they were for Operation Fresh Start because without it, they would have pinched pennies and had to have asked for donations from members of their church. Additionally, this resource family expressed how wonderful it was to know that there are people and businesses in the community who support foster children and understand their needs. To quote this caring family, “foster children deserve programs like this one and it’s wonderful to have that support.”

Educating the public about causes is an important part of non-profit work. Is there something you’d like everyone to know about the people you help or the efforts of your team?

Through a unique partnership between Business, our local Community, and Government (represented by the Kern County Department of Human Services), the Kern Partnership for Children and Families is able to identify specific family needs not covered by traditional programs.

BUSINESS 

Business needs a strong community to succeed.
A strong community means a dependable workforce and a growing customer base. Kern County families are your workforce and your customer base.

Families in crisis need help
Kern County families who experience poverty, child abuse and neglect, or who are caring for foster children are unable to fully contribute to business growth. The limited assistance these families may receive only helps with the basics. Families need more to flourish and be part of a strong local economy.

Business has a role in creating a strong community
In order for families to invest in business, business needs to invest in families. The Kern Partnership for Children and Families works with unique programs to help families become part of a strong community. Your contribution to the Kern Partnership for Children and Families is an investment in the stability, self-sufficiency, and success of families in our community, which creates a foundation for a stronger local economy. When families succeed, so will business.

COMMUNITY
Where government stops, the community must start.

Poverty
One third of the people in Kern County receive public assistance through the Department of Human Services. Most are children. Families who qualify for cash assistance receive about $500 per month for housing, utilities, clothing and food; children account for 80% of these individuals.

Combining our Strength
The Department of Human Services sees the widening gap between what families need and what government can provide. By joining with business, faith-based, and other local organizations, we can strengthen the support network within our community. When we combine our strength, we can all do more to support stability, self-sufficiency, and success for Kern County children and families.

Through the Kern Partnership for Children and Families, your contribution will help enrich the lives of those who need it the most.

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
Families need more than government can provide.

Kern County Children in Foster Care
Over 2,000 children in Kern County are in foster care. These are children removed from their birth families due to abuse or neglect and placed with other caregivers. However, the financial assistance provided for their care barely covers basic needs.

Emancipated Youth
Each year in Kern County, approximately 200 youth emancipate or “age-out” of the foster care system. Research shows that within two to four years of exiting the foster care system, 50% of these youth will be unemployed and an estimated 25% will experience homelessness. Despite the fact that 70% of these youth express the desire to go to college, less than 15% achieve that goal.

Breaking the Cycle
Teens who are pregnant or parenting need help to stay in school and earn a diploma. Graduation is the first step toward job preparation and breaking the cycle of poverty. Over 500 teens annually require additional services and support to graduate from high school or an equivalent program

We can do more for our children.

What should people know if they want to volunteer with Kern Partnership for Children and Families?

Through the Kern Partnership for Children and Families, your contribution will help enrich the lives of those who need it the most.

To find out more about Kern Partnership for Children and Families, please visit their website: kernpartnership.com