embrella

embrella supports foster, kinship, and adoptive children and families in New Jersey through family support, training, mentoring, resources, conferences, and scholarship programs. Its work spans practical supports for caregivers and young people as well as education-focused initiatives that help students move into post-secondary study and career preparation. The organization’s program menu includes Family Support Advocates, Connecting Families meetings, the Heart to Heart Mentoring Program, Life Books, PACES, grants and scholarships for high school seniors, scholarships for college students, and Spanish-language services. A central part of embrella’s education work is the New Jersey Foster Care Scholars (NJFC) Program, which it operates in partnership with the Department of Children and Families. That program provides educational assistance through two funding streams with different eligibility rules. One is the Tuition Waiver created after Governor McGreevey signed the Tuition Waiver Bill in July 2003, allowing eligible foster and homeless youth enrolled full-time at a public New Jersey college, university, or vocational school to receive help with tuition and fees, excluding room and board. The second is the Federal Education and Training Voucher Program, which can provide up to $5,000 for an academic year for books and supplies, tuition and fees, room and board, computers or special equipment, transportation, and child care costs for eligible students attending in-state public schools as well as private or out-of-state institutions. The scale of that effort is measurable: since the program was signed into existence in 2003, more than 438 New Jersey Foster Care Scholars have confirmed completion of a certification, Associate’s degree, or Bachelor’s degree. embrella also maintains application support, scholarship communications, and year-round webinars on post-secondary education, financial aid, FAFSA, and NJFC applications, reinforcing its role as a long-term support organization for New Jersey families and students connected to foster care.