Reaching Our Littlest Ones

“SC Ministry Foundation has thoughtfully and holistically supported ProKids’ mission to mobilize our community to break the vicious cycle of child abuse and neglect. The SC Ministry Foundation’s investment in ProKids’ organizational capacity is vital to our growth to reach more of our most valuable children and guide them into safe environments where they can truly thrive.”

 – Tracy Cook, ProKids Executive Director

SC Ministry Foundation is a public grant-making organization that promotes the mission and ministry of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. Through grants, capacity building and collaboration, SC Ministry Foundation provides financial support to organizations identified with the Sisters of Charity in need of support for viability and growth, furthers social justice by addressing the root causes of poverty, racism and oppression, supports services and programs that will positively impact persons living in poverty and those underserved, and promotes collaborative initiatives for the building up of healthy communities.

The SC Ministry Foundation, the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, and ProKids are a natural partnership. The foundation has supplied ProKids not only with funds, but holistic support as well. It designated Sister Joan Caroleto serve on the Building Blocks advisory board, has provided specific feedback on how we can tell ProKids’ story better, invited our staff for high quality trainings with nationally renown speakers, provided stress-relieving workshops during the worst of the economic downturn, and has provided a wide variety of resources to help us grow to reach more waiting children.

For almost a decade, SC Ministry Foundation has supported ProKids with grants funding our Building Blocks program. Building Blocks was created in 2000 to respond to the increasing awareness of the effects of trauma and abuse on developing, young brains. Sadly, infants and young children are the fastest growing population in the foster care system. Building Blocks focuses on the unique and complex needs of the youngest and most vulnerable children in foster care, and makes sure our CASA volunteers and staff have access to training, support, and expert consultation necessary to meet the needs of these abused and neglected babies and toddlers.

37% of children entering Hamilton County’s protective custody for the first time are under the age of six; these young children spend twice as much time as older children in the foster care system, and experience a greater number of placement disruptions, frequently moving from one home to another.

As a result of having a ProKids Building Blocks CASA volunteer assigned to a child’s case, in 2012, 96% of children experienced stability while in the foster care system, 95% of children were placed with their siblings, and 100% of children received appropriate educational placement or achieved developmental milestones.

Through the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, SC Ministry Foundation’s support has helped ProKids to expand the Building Blocks program to include children through the age of five, as well as more focused and specialized training for our volunteers and staff in two additional areas: learning disabilities and trauma.