Manatee Community Foundation Makes Emergency Grant

September 15, 2021 – Sarasota

When a recent plumbing emergency required pipe removal and replacement in “Grammie’s House,” Safe Children Coalition’s group home for children awaiting foster and/or inpatient care placement, The Manatee Foster Care Initiative Fund of Manatee Community Foundation (MCF) sprang into action. An emergency funding request of $27,800 from Safe Children Coalition (SCC) was immediately reviewed by MCF’s grants committee, which approved the request. 

Grammie’s House was opened in March of 2020 due to the increased need for secure placement of foster youth experiencing displacement for reasons including a lack of foster care homes, disruption of current placements, and complex needs related to therapeutic care. Prior to opening the group home, youths might have needed to be placed outside of Circuit 12 or even out of state, especially severely mentally and behaviorally challenged children. 

In its first year, Grammie’s House served nearly 60 children – who otherwise might not have been placeable within Circuit 12 – keeping them connected to their families, schools, familiar medical care, and extracurricular activities.

SCC’s goal is to keep children connected to their loved ones, schools, and activities to maintain as much routine as possible. Although Grammie’s House is located in Sarasota County, it serves all children within Circuit 12, and transportation is provided to and from Manatee County to maintain stability.

While Safe Children Coalition owns the facility and receives Department of Children & Families funding to staff the home and administer repairs, the funding restriction does not allow for any type of replacement, such as the pipe replacement necessary to fix the plumbing issue. Thanks to the emergency grant from MCC, the repairs have already begun.

“We are so grateful to The Manatee Foster Care Initiative Fund of the Manatee Community Foundation for its swift and compassionate response to our urgent need,” said Brena Slater, president & CEO of Safe Children Coalition. “The impact that Grammie’s House has had on scores of young lives is significant, and the need to keep the facility as a viable option for hard-to-place foster care youth is essential.  A heartfelt thank you to All Star Children’s Foundation for assistance with temporary placement of our children who are currently in the home.” 

For more about Safe Children Coalition, visit sccfl.org.