We’re excited to announce we’ve once again been awarded a Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® (HKHF) grant by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) to support our advocacy for children in Texas foster care.
Right now, there is a crisis in the Texas foster care system—there are children in foster care placed far away from their families and communities, some in distant parts of Texas, and some even out of state. CASA is determined to show up for these children, no matter where they’re placed. The HKHF funding will support our Courtesy CASA program. Courtesy CASA allows us to visit these children, assess their safety and report to authorities when necessary, travelling thousands of miles per month to provide emotional support and in-person connection for children in distant placements.
“We’re so grateful for our longtime partnership with BCBSTX,” said Texas CASA CEO Vicki Spriggs. “With their continued support, we can go the distance for Texas children in foster care—helping ensure they’re safe and supported, no matter where they’re placed.”
Launched in 2011, HKHF started as a three-year project designed to improve the health and wellness of at least one million children through community investments. The program was extended as BCBSTX’s ongoing commitment to the health and well-being of the children and families across Texas.
“We are happy to award these grants that will support and nurture meaningful and transformational projects across Texas,” said Sheena Payne, BCBSTX’s director of Community Investments. “Strategically, it is also important that we continue to aid community-based organizations that are directly supporting children and families with health and wellness equity as well as building foundations for economic opportunity.”
The HKHF program – which centers on nutrition, physical activity, disease prevention and management and supporting safe environments – has awarded more than $20 million in funding since inception, and this year will impact the lives of more than 5 million children and adults in Texas.