The Wichita Sedgwick County Community Action Partnership (WSCCAP) has been awarded a $30,000 federal grant to fund job training programs for youth exiting foster care.
Specifically, the funding source is the 2017 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Remainder/Discretionary fund, secured through an application process. The funds support employment, training and subsequent job placement, which will be aligned with a local emerging and competitive industry sector in need of a skilled workforce.
The CSBG federal funding will provide foster care youth with an opportunity to receive vocational training, housing resources and case management activities designed to result in self-sufficiency. These interventions will promote a successful transition to adulthood and facilitate a natural path out of poverty. The innovative project aligns with the City's Comprehensive Housing Policy to maintain housing affordability.
"Providing 21st century skills will ensure wages are higher so that housing remains affordable for this clientele," John Hall, the Housing and Community Services Director, said.
Kansas' CSBG funds are allocated to grant-eligible entities for use in locally developed programming and activities designed to mitigate the causes and conditions of poverty. For more than 30 years, the City has been a Community Action Program (CAP) participant and the recipient of CSBG funding for the City and Sedgwick County. The City is one of eight CAPs in the state of Kansas.
To learn more about the Youth Employment and Training Program for youth exiting foster care, please contact WSCCAP at (316) 462-3775.
