Hilton Foundation Brings New Hope on Mother's Day With Grant to Antelope Valley Homeless Coalition's "Don't Overlook The Child" Program to Help Young At-Risk and Homeless Mothers and Children

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has selected a coalition of Antelope Valley humanitarian organizations as one of three projects for its national initiative to improve housing, health, and development of young homeless and at-risk children and their mothers. The coalition's "Don't Overlook the Child" program will pilot and evaluate innovative programs for homeless children and their families then share the effective strategies and services to create a roadmap for national solutions.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 10, 2007 -- The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has selected a coalition of Antelope Valley humanitarian organizations as one of three projects for its national initiative to improve housing, health, and development of young homeless and at-risk children and their mothers. The coalition's "Don't Overlook the Child" program will pilot and evaluate innovative programs for homeless children and their families then share the effective strategies and services to create a roadmap for national solutions.

The coalition is comprised of Homeless Solutions Access Center, Healthy Homes/Antelope Valley Hospital, Antelope Valley Partners for Health, Black Infant Health Program, Catholic Charities Lancaster Shelter, St. Joseph Manor, Mental Health Association and the County of Los Angeles. United Way of Greater Los Angeles is the fiscal and lead agency.

The five-year initiative, Strengthening At Risk and Homeless Young Mothers and Children, was launched in 2006 by the Hilton Foundation to mitigate the effects of homelessness on childhood development. Funding for the five-year project will total $11.2 million, with $3.6 million generated as funding matches by local partners. United Way will be matching funds for this important initiative for the first three years.

The other selected projects are PROTOTYPES, Centers for Innovation in Health, Mental Health and Social Services of Los Angeles and Reuben Lindh Family Services of Minneapolis.

"We are pleased to be chosen as one of three pilot programs nationally," said Diane Grooms, Regional Director of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. "Mother's Day is the perfect day to kick off our program to help young homeless or at-risk mothers throughout the Antelope Valley."

"Children and young mothers who are homeless or on the verge of homelessness face circumstances and choices that most of us cannot imagine," said Steven M. Hilton, President and CEO of the Hilton Foundation. "Our goal is to find workable local solutions that pave the way for these families to lead stable, happy and productive lives and that can be implemented nationally by public and private agencies across the country."

National partners in the initiative are The National Center on Family Homelessness, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and the Child Welfare League of America. The three partner organizations act as the initiative's Coordinating Center, bringing expertise to project selection, provision of training and technical assistance to project sites, and evaluation of pilot programs and services.

"The Antelope Valley partnership is a strong local program serving a rapidly growing area that is beginning to feel the impacts of urbanization including the serious problem of family homelessness," said Ellen Bassuk, MD, President and founder of The National Center on Family Homelessness. "Each of our local partners will implement innovative approaches to helping children and families escape homelessness and thrive again in the community. We expect this project to yield important findings to guide others. "

The target population is young at-risk or homeless mothers, age 25 and younger with at least one child five years of age or younger. It is anticipated that approximately 500 children and their families will benefit annually from the Hilton Foundation initiative including housing stability, maternal and child-well-being, strengthened family functioning and family preservation.

"Don't Overlook the Child" has two main components: direct services for homeless children and mothers and capacity building and training for local agencies serving homeless families. The goal is to improve integration of housing/homelessness systems and child development/welfare systems.

This initiative grew out of two of the Hilton Foundation's mission priorities - homelessness and early childhood development. Homelessness funding from the foundation includes a $20 million, 13-year commitment to providing supportive housing for homeless people experiencing mental illness. In the area of early childhood development, the foundation has awarded $38.6 million to create the Hilton/Early Head Start Training Program.

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

The Hilton Foundation was created in 1944 by hotel entrepreneur and business leader Conrad N. Hilton, who left his fortune to the foundation with instructions to help the most disadvantaged and vulnerable throughout the world without regard to religion, ethnicity or geography. With offices in Los Angeles, California and Reno, Nevada, the foundation has provided more than $500 million for charitable projects throughout the United States and the world. For more information, visit www.hiltonfoundation.org.

The National Center on Family Homelessness

The National Center on Family Homelessness is the nation's only research and social action organization dedicated solely to helping homeless children and families. By developing model programs, effective services, and innovative technical assistance, The National Center works to stabilize the lives of homeless families. Its mission is to identify what works, educate and inspire, and take action to end family homelessness. Please visit www.familyhomelessness.org for more information.

National Alliance to End Homelessness

The National Alliance to End Homelessness works collaboratively with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build state and local capacity, leading to stronger programs and policies that help homeless individuals and families make positive changes in their lives. The Alliance provides data and research to policymakers and elected officials to inform policy debates and educate the public and opinion leaders nationwide. For more information, please visit www.endhomelessness.org.

Child Welfare League of America

The Child Welfare League of America has been a champion for children since 1920. It is committed to engaging people everywhere in promoting well-being of children, youth, and their families. CWLA envisions a future in which families, neighborhoods, communities, and governments ensure that all children and youth have the resources they need to grow into healthy, contributing members of society. For more information, please visit www.cwla.org.

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