Helping Children Grow and Thrive

Piper Trust focuses on early childhood and adolescence, with an emphasis on helping parents and caregivers of these children. The Trust funds programs targeting prevention rather than short-term intervention projects whenever possible. Grantmaking in this category dovetails with objectives and strategies for children in the Education program area.

1) Stronger Families
Piper Trust helps build parent and caregiver abilities to nurture children. The Trust supports programs to provide infromation about healthy early childhood and adolescent care-giving practices and improve access to basis support services and programs that strengthen families. A major Piper Trust initiative is the Arizona Parent Kit, an education program for new parents developed in California, piloted in Maricopa County and recently converted to a statewide program.

2) Essential Services for Special Populations of Children
Piper Trust supports programs to remove barriers that inhibit children of all ages from learning and growing by expanding access to essential services such as food, clothing and shelter for children and their families. Grantmaking targets special populations such as disabled, at-risk, low income and homeless children.

3) Improved Child Care Practices and Afterschool Care
Piper Trust supports programs to provide young children with quality care and safe environments, such as standardized orientation training for child care center personnel as well as similar support for at-home child care providers. Programs for youth and adolescents include funding after-school facilities and expanding access to out-of-school mentoring and skill-building opportunities.