Encouraging Foster Youth: A Grant Proposal for a Peer Mentoring Program

The purpose of this project was to write a grant to support a peer mentoring program, including locating a foundation that would fund a peer mentor program within San Diego County Child Welfare Services and designing the mentoring program. A review of literature was conducted to understand the needs of foster youth, as well as the elements that contribute to their self-efficacy and academic success. A peer mentoring program was developed that addresses the educational, social, and emotional needs of youth and depicts the collaboration between Promises2Kids and child welfare services. A search for potential funding sources via the Internet and grant databases resulted in the selection of the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation, Women’s Fund, as the best funding source for this project. A grant proposal narrative was written to support a peer mentor program. The actual submission or funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of the project.