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The Gifford Youth Activity Center, Inc. — Cummer Cultural Camp Indian River County Children 's Services Advisory Committee Be PROGRAM NEED STATEMENT (Entire Section B not to exceed one page) 1 . a) What is the unacceptable condition requiring change ? b) Who has the need ? c) Where do they live ? d) Provide local, state, or national trend data , with reference source, that corroborates that this is an area of need . What : Limited number of affordable programs available to working parents in the two weeks prior to the start of school . Who : Children with risk factors such as qualifying for the free or reduced lunch program, living in single parent homes, alcohol tobacco or drug use , symptoms of depression, displaying anti-social behavior or dropping out of school . Many families have single parents or both parents working full time . Many parents find themselves stretched to the limit just trying to provide basic needs . Where : The numbers of school aged children living in Indian River County are located in the western, central and southern ends of the county . The children with the greatest socioeconomic need are centrally located in the county . Summer programs offered in the two weeks prior to school starting and programs for teens are limited. The Summer Cultural Camp offers productive, supervised activities that give children tools for living . The Summer Cultural Camp is held at GYAC , which addresses the need for a central location . From there, field trips and classes are arranged . Data : Figures form the Florida Department of Education indicate a steady increase in students in Indian River County eligible for the free or reduced lunch program . In 1999-200, the percentage was 39% and for 2001 -2002 , the figure rose to 46%, a 7% increase in just one year. This translates into 6 , 856 of the county ' s 14 , 904 students being eligible for the free or reduced lunch program . Data from the needs assessment conducted in 2002 by the Children ' s Services Advisory Committee indicated that the percent growth in impoverished families with children in Indian River County had a 46% rise from 1990-2000 . A subsidized childcare and wait list chart in that same report indicated that there is a capacity for 182 in-school children, but the need is for 250 , revealing a gap of 68 that need a place for childcare after school . Evident in the report was a need for mental wellness for children in our county . Prevention of mental distress and illness was the recommended outcome . The Summer Cultural Camp program gives each child the opportunity to identify a creative act that requires discipline and perseverance in mastering the craft, which gives the child a healthy outlet for expression, increases his or her feelings of self worth and gives the child constructive ways to spend spare time in healthy recreation . All of these skills assist in the prevention of mental distress and illness . 2 . a) Identify similar programs that are currently serving the needs of your targeted population ; b) Explain how these existing programs are under-serving the targeted population of your program . a) No similar programs exist. Most of the children that participate in the Summer Cultural camp participate in the County ' s recreation program, which ends at the end of July. This Summer Cultural Camp gives this particular group of children what could be the only opportunity they may have to be exposed to playing a musical instrument, learning how to paint or learning new steps to a dance . Boys & Girls Clubs and Dasie Bridgewater Hope Center will be operational at this time for day care needs . b) The above mentioned locations are all filled to capacity during these two weeks. 5