Schools Get Grant for Family Support Project

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has received a $516,600 grant from Blue Cross’ California Endowment to fund an infant and family support project designed to link parents with social and medical resources.

Families in the neighborhoods of John Muir and Will Rogers elementary schools will be part of the pilot program, which will involve the creation of family support centers at the schools and a network of family advocates hired to do outreach to area families with children ages 3 and under.

“Rather than wait until school age to identify children in trouble, the idea is to provide whatever kind of support families want from the very beginning to ensure they and their children are emotionally, physically and socially ready for school when the time comes,” said Kathy McTaggart, coordinator of school and community partnerships for the district. “It is a tragedy to wait until the child is 5 years old.”

Five family advocates will be trained to help link neighborhood families with social services, child development information and health promotion campaigns.