Mission West Virginia
Emergency Aid Grant Application for Schools
Eligible Counties:
Boone, Clay, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln, and Putnam
Purpose:
There are over 6,000 children in foster care in West Virginia. Youth residing outside of the formal child welfare system expands to an even greater number, with over 22,000 youth living with a relative with no parent present. Kinship caregivers often face tremendous financial burdens when they add a new member to their family; many already live below the federal poverty level. Moreover, many kinship caregivers are grandparents who are often retired with a fixed income. Without additional support and help, the child and family both incur unnecessary hardships.
Mission West Virginia is accepting applications with the purpose of providing emergency assistance to youth being raised by relatives and/or in foster care.
With funding from this grant, your school will receive financial aid to distribute to youth for the purchase of items that fall into three categories:
- Personal care – Examples include toiletries, haircuts, clothing for children arriving or returning to family with little or no belongings, loss or theft of clothing, period of rapid growth, or the beginning of a new school year.
- School expenses – Examples include school photographs, the purchase of specific items that assist in meeting the child’s educational needs (specialty calculators, subscriptions, study books, etc.), general school supplies and expenses associated with school activities.
- Recreational costs – Examples include costs for a child with talent or interested in a particular activity that should be encouraged (sports, music, art).
*Other items allowable with approval - The approximate amount per child will range from $50 – $150. For record keeping, we are asking that each representative keep track of each request fulfilled by completing a brief form supplied by MWV and keeping documentation.