Small Grants Have Big Impact for Adoptions Projects

Victoria, B.C., July 3, 2012 – Adoptive families will go to camp, form support networks and have access to more learning opportunities thanks to a series of small grants from The Lex Reynolds Adoption and Permanency Trust Fund.

The fund has awarded just over $25,500 to support 17 community-based projects throughout B.C. aimed at promoting adoption and/or supporting and enhancing the experience of adoptive families.

“These grants are intended to be simple and accessible to both apply for and report on,” said Sandra Scarth, co-chair of the trust fund. “The amounts are small but the impact is large because the results have a broad ripple effect throughout the adoption community.”

The latest round of micro-grants will support the development of training and activities on topics such as trans-racial families, welcoming adoptive children into an established family, and parenting adoptive children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

“Adoptive families and adopted children often face difficult and complex challenges,” said Geord Holland, fund co-chair. “By funding activities such as developing training materials or creating a support network, we can give these families the specialized support they need – and we can do so in a very cost-effective manner.”

The Lex Reynolds Adoption and Permanency Trust Fund was created as a result of an endowment provided by the Government of British Columbia to help children and youth awaiting adoption and other permanent placements. The Victoria Foundation is the trustee of the fund and provides administrative support.

The purpose of the trust is to offer annual grants that will help support healthy, permanent placements; encourage innovative research, projects and initiatives; develop a higher level of awareness of permanency options in our communities; and facilitate adoption programs and services within B.C.

The trust conducts two separate rounds of granting annually – micro-grants of up to $1,500 each and full/research grants of up to $20,000 each. Organizations may apply for both micro-grants and full/research grants  in the same year providing they are for different projects. Applications for full/research grants will be available in early August with an Oct. 5 deadline for submission to the trust for consideration.

To learn more about the Lex Reynolds Adoption and Permanency Trust Fund, visit www.connectingforlife.ca

See the list of funded projects (Note: change the default to show all 17 entries).

For more information, please contact:

Stephanie Slater
Director of Communications, Victoria Foundation
250.381.5532 ext. #227
250.686-8477
email: slslater@victoriafoundation.bc.ca
victoriafoundation.bc.ca