The Isaiah 1:17 Project receives Lilly grant

The Isaiah 1:17 Project Receives Grant to Support Fortifying Fostering Families Program

The Isaiah 1:17 Project has been awarded a grant of $292,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc. to further strengthen the Fortifying Fostering Families (F3) Program. This three-year grant is part of Lilly Endowment’s initiative, Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana.

Improving the Well-being of Youth

The goal of this competitive initiative is to help youth-serving organizations in Indiana enhance the academic, physical, and social well-being of youth aged five through 18. Research has shown that when fostering families receive intentional community support, especially during the first two years, 75% of them continue in their role as foster parents.

The Impact of the F3 Program

The Isaiah 1:17 Project’s F3 program provides support to kinship care and fostering families during their first three years of service. The program utilizes proven methods that help these families continue making a positive difference in the lives of children who need their care.

According to Marcia Lambert, Director of The Isaiah 1:17 Project, “Fostering families are a limited and valuable community resource. Our Southwest Indiana community needs to intentionally and fully support every child in foster care and every kinship and fostering family. This requires the collaborative care of loving and compassionate church and community members.”

With the support of Lilly Endowment, The Isaiah 1:17 Project will be able to expand the F3 program in the area and bring immediate and long-term positive change to the lives of children who have faced trauma. However, F3 is just one way in which The Isaiah 1:17 Project supports children and families impacted by foster care. As the needs of children and fostering families grow, the organization relies on charitable contributions to continue its work.

Lilly Endowment’s Commitment to Youth Programs

The Isaiah 1:17 Project is one of 187 organizations receiving grant awards through the Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana initiative. Ted Maple, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education, emphasizes the importance of youth-serving organizations in the healthy development of children and youth across the state. He states, “The challenge these organizations have faced in meeting the needs of young people in recent years has made their work increasingly difficult. Lilly Endowment is pleased to support their efforts to strengthen programs and serve more youth more effectively.”

Lilly Endowment launched the Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana Initiative in 2022 by providing grants to nine national youth-serving organizations. These grants aimed to help expand and enhance the work of their Indiana affiliates and chapters.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. The foundation was established through gifts of stock from their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, it maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

About The Isaiah 1:17 Project

The Isaiah 1:17 Project was founded in 2017 with the mission of working with the community to provide services and support for families and a Bag of Hope for children in foster care. The organization provides Bags of Hope directly to children as they enter foster care. These bags contain age-appropriate items to help children during the transition, such as pajamas, socks, toiletries, snacks, and comfort items. The Isaiah 1:17 Project serves an eleven-county Southwestern Indiana region and has packed more than 8500 bags.

In addition to providing Bags of Hope, The Isaiah 1:17 Project supports fostering families through its Fortifying Fostering Families program. This program addresses the deficit of fostering families by offering direct support and proven systems to retain them in their role. The organization also raises awareness through special events and community engagement activities throughout Southwestern Indiana.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The article discusses the Isaiah 1:17 Project’s F3 program, which supports kinship care and fostering families. By providing support to these families, the program aims to improve the well-being of youth and children in foster care. This aligns with the goals of reducing poverty (SDG 1), promoting good health and well-being (SDG 3), ensuring quality education (SDG 4), achieving gender equality (SDG 5), promoting decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), reducing inequalities (SDG 10), and promoting peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.
• Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
• Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles.
• Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
• Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified include implementing social protection systems for the vulnerable (Target 1.3), reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (Target 3.4), promoting sustainable development through education (Target 4.7), ending discrimination against women and girls (Target 5.1), achieving full and productive employment for all (Target 8.5), promoting social and economic inclusion (Target 10.2), and ensuring inclusive decision-making (Target 16.7).

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 1.3.1: Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims and the poor and vulnerable.
• Indicator 3.4.1: Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease.
• Indicator 4.7.1: Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment.
• Indicator 5.1.1: Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce and monitor equality and non-discrimination on the basis of sex.
• Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age group and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 16.7.1: Proportions of positions (by sex, age, persons with disabilities and population groups) in public institutions (national and local legislatures, public service and judiciary) compared to national distributions.

The article does not explicitly mention indicators, but based on the identified targets, the following indicators can be used to measure progress: the proportion of the population covered by social protection systems (Indicator 1.3.1), mortality rates attributed to non-communicable diseases (Indicator 3.4.1), the extent of global citizenship education and education for sustainable development in national policies and curricula (Indicator 4.7.1), the presence of legal frameworks promoting equality and non-discrimination (Indicator 5.1.1), average hourly earnings by gender and occupation (Indicator 8.5.1), the proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (Indicator 10.2.1), and the representation of diverse groups in public institutions (Indicator 16.7.1).

4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators