Starfish Family Services Awarded $125,000 Grant From The Kresge Foundation

INKSTER, Mich., May 13, 2010 — Starfish Family Services (Starfish), an Inkster, Mich.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to creating brighter futures for the children of at-risk families in metro Detroit, was recently named the recipient of a $125,000 planning grant from the Kresge Foundation. Starfish Chief Executive Officer Ann Kalass made the announcement.

The grant was awarded to Starfish to help the organization develop a comprehensive three- to five-year plan to drive measurable and community-level change in child outcomes. The planning study will allow Starfish to engage external talent in early childhood development and strategic planning, as well as identify the supporting measurement and evaluation tools. The study will also include a Program Quality Assessment of the Starfish Head Start program to provide information that will enable Starfish to improve program quality and design a supporting professional development plan.

“We feel very privileged to receive this generous gift,” said Kalass. “The Kresge Foundation has been a generous supporter of key Starfish physical and infrastructure improvements in the past and we are thankful for the foundation’s continued generosity and support of our mission and vision for the future of Starfish.”

Starfish has clarified its strategic focus in recent months aiming to create positive outcomes for children zero to five in order to create a successful start to school and life that ultimately breaks the cycle of poverty. This grant will provide funding to enable Starfish to further develop and focus on this refined goal.

The Kresge Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life for vulnerable populations and is focused on both human services and education.

About Starfish Family Services

Founded in 1963, Starfish Family Services is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty by creating family success. Based in Inkster, Mich., Starfish serves vulnerable children and families throughout metropolitan Detroit, providing early childhood and parenting programs, after school programs, children’s mental health services, and emergency shelter to teens and youth in crisis. Each year, Starfish helps more than 9,000 individuals, children and families.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Amanda Ming
248.258.2333
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Erin Sabo
248.258.2333
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