Two programs offier assistance to low-income and forster children for back-to-school needs
Alamogordo Daily News
By Alex Quintana
July 30th, 2014
http://www.alamogordonews.com/alamogordo-news/ci_26248172/governor-announces-back-school-program
Gov. Susana Martinez announced Monday two programs that will provide assistance to low-income and foster children for back to school needs.
The Human Services Department (HSD) and the Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD) will provide assistance with clothing and back to school supplies, according to a press release by the governor.
“These are two ways in which we can ensure that our neediest children have everything they need to be able to focus in the classroom,” Martinez said. “Proper clothing and supplies make it easier for students to concentrate and makes it more likely that they will have a successful school year.”
The annual children’s clothing allowance through HSD will provide a $50 for each qualifying New Mexico child for the purchase clothes for the upcoming school year, according to the release. The allowance is part of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, according to the release. HSD estimates they will help more than 15,765 low-income children at a cost of roughly $788,000, the release states.
Matt Kennicott, Director of External Affairs with the Human Service Department, said there are generally about 1,000 foster parents in state.
“It is our main way of helping our foster parents and our foster children get ready for school,” Kennicott said.
He said families who have a dependant child on TANF will see the distribution will begin at the end of August or the beginning of September.
“The extra funding gets automatically added to their TANF benefits,” Kennicott said.
He said this is something that the TANF program has provided for about 10 years.
“Once they see that extra funding they will use that to purchase the clothing for their school-aged children and hopefully it will give them some help in getting the clothes that their kids need for school,” he said.
CYFD will provide $100 to foster families and providers for each foster child in their care that is three years old and above, according to the release. The funding is to help foster families purchase back-to-school supplies including pencils, pens, markers, notebooks, calculators, back packs and clothing for foster children in their care, the release states.
CYFD spokesman Henry Varela said the foster parents are given money automatically without them having to apply to CYFD. Valera said more than 1,700 foster children would be eligible to receive funding for schools supplies. He said CYFD has given money to foster parents for several years.
“We are very appreciative of foster families and providers who work hard to get our foster children ready and prepared for the new school year,” Martinez said.