Children’s Place Association is excited to announce that our Child Thrive Initiative is a recipient of the Historic R3 (Restore, Reinvest and Renew Program) grant award – a program created as a key equity element of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA) requiring that 25 percent of all cannabis revenue be used to support organizations in communities hardest hit by gun violence, unemployment, and child poverty caused by the war on drugs. “The R3 program will tackle chronic problems that have gone unaddressed for far too long in our underserved neighborhoods,” said Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.”
This start-up funding ($550,000) will allow us to launch a community resource center in West Humboldt Park and help this neighborhood address some of the urgent issues faced by children and families. At the Child Thrive Resource Center, residents will be able to access trauma-focused mental health therapy, primary care services, evidence-based youth mentoring and initiate community-sponsored activities to bolster a response to neighborhood violence and social determinants of health. The project will also address economic development and neighborhood safety by promoting the renovation of vacant and derelict business properties on West Chicago Avenue.
Children’s Place will be working on this collaborative, community-driven initiative with the following partners: West Humboldt Park Development Council, Rush University Medical Center and JPA (Juvenile Protective Association).
Child Thrive operations are expected to begin by early spring, but the work is only beginning! We still need supporters to join us on this major initiative. To learn more about how you can help us build upon this foundation and contribute to our community outreach efforts as a volunteer or donor, please contact Shantal Alonso – Chief Development & Communications Officer – at salonso@childrens-place.org.
More details will come as we begin the ground-breaking initiative in West Humboldt Park, Chicago.
