Pulaski County Receives $750,000 Grant to Expand Childcare

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The Quality Childcare Coalition of Pulaski County, in partnership with local businesses and the Community Foundation of Pulaski County, are collaborating to address childcare needs in the community. Pulaski County was awarded a $750,000 grant through the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) of Indiana to address those needs.

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Five Finalists Named for Community Foundation of Pulaski County Lily Endowment Community Scholarship

Five students from two area high schools have been named finalists in the Community Foundation of Pulaski County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship process, including  Alexa Schultz from West Central High School, and Lily Bennett, Bianca Huizar, Maggie Smith, and Kelsey Wegner from Winamac Community High School. 

The Pulaski County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides four years of full tuition and required fees and up to $900 per year for required books and equipment.

The Community Foundation will submit nominations to a committee appointed by Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) for final selection of the recipient in accordance with the criteria and procedures consistent with applicable law and the overall goals of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship program.  The recipient selected by the ICI committee will be notified by mid-December of this year.

The scholarship is fully funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment and administered locally through Community Foundation of Pulaski County and statewide by Independent Colleges of Indiana.  Lilly Endowment Inc. formed the Community Scholarship program in 1998 to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and to encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.

$402,800 Awarded to Pulaski County

The Community Foundation of Pulaski County (CFPC), Pulaski County Drug-Free Council and the Local Coordinating Council (LCC), are pleased to announce $402,800 has been awarded to Pulaski County.

The Family & Social Services Administration’s (FSSA) Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) awarded these funds to build and support projects across Indiana to improve mental health and recovery services for Hoosiers. This includes funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and the National Opioid Settlement that totals more than $76 million.

In 2019, CFPC released a report called “Conversations with Our Community” which noted that Pulaski County wanted a safe and drug-free community. CFPC, in partnership with Pulaski County Drug-Free Council, developed a “Community Action Plan” to address substance misuse in our community. This plan was developed based on the core activities outlined in the National Opioid Settlement distribution.

Indiana is a part of the $26 billion national settlement and the state received approximately $507 million, which is distributed to all cities, towns and counties in the state who are participating in the settlement. Pulaski County received its first distribution earlier this year and will continue to receive funds through approximately 2037.

During the joint council sessions in February, CFPC and the Pulaski County Drug-Free Council presented the “Community Action Plan” to the council members as a recommendation on how to utilize the opioid settlement funds. At that time, the request was made and granted to apply for the FSSA matching grant. DMHA received 78 proposals requesting a total of $93 million in response to the grant. However, Pulaski County was a successful applicant and was awarded $402,800 for the community to address substance misuse in the county.

The FSSA grant will be funded July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025.