CHILDREN

BACKGROUND

Piper Trust encourages the healthy development of children from birth through adolescence. The first few years of life are critically important to the healthy development of children, and young children whose needs are unmet can suffer severe and long-lasting consequences. At the other end of the childhood spectrum, adolescence is an important transitional period to adulthood, a time to acquire skills for a productive future or a time when negative influences can jeopardize their well-being and future success as adults.

STRATEGY

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.

Stronger families. Piper Trust helps build parent and caregiver abilities to nurture children. The Trust supports programs to provide information about healthy early childhood and adolescent care-giving practices and improve access to basic support services and programs that strengthen families. A major Piper Trust initiative is the Arizona Parents Kit, an education program for new parents developed in California and then piloted and implemented in Maricopa County through distribution at birthing hospitals.

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.

Improved child care practices and after-school care. Piper Trust supports programs to provide young childrenwith 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.

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