HALOS Receives $10,000 Grant for Pilot Peer Mentoring Program

Press Release

HALOS announced today that they have received a $10,000 grant from Pisgah Investments Foundation, Inc. to help fund a pilot peer mentoring program for kinship caregivers. Kinship caregivers are grandparents or other relatives raising children to keep them out of foster care. When relatives take in children unexpectedly, they confront financial, emotional and physical challenges. New caregivers desire connection with others in the same situation who understand those challenges. To meet this need, HALOS began a pilot peer mentoring program in January 2023.

HALOS’ Executive Director, Jed Dews, explains, “Peer support helps caregivers connect with someone who understands their situation—the joys and the challenges—and who can provide useful insights, parenting strategies, and other expertise. It normalizes the experiences of children, teens, and caregivers as they make connections with others living in similar circumstances.”

Peer mentoring services can reduce isolation and stress and provide caregivers with hope and encouragement even as their children continue to face challenges. There is often an increased level of trust with people who have walked a similar path and know the challenges that can occur when parenting children and youth who have experienced abuse, trauma, and neglect.

For more information about HALOS and the programs and services we provide for kinship families, visit charlestonhalos.org.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us