Grant administration resource development 3

WORKSHEET 3.1A: Statement of Need Questionnaire

Use the filled-out Worksheet 3.1B in the book as an example to follow as you complete this questionnaire.

Who? Where? When?

What? Why?

Evidence of Problem

Impact If Problem Is Resolved?

Who is in need (people, animals, land, etc.)?

The community of children whose parents undergoing cancer treatment are in need of the services the Children’s Academy of Pinellas has to offer. Expanding the childcare program to include complimentary nutritious meals will not only encourage proper nutrition for children of the academy, but help alleviate some of the parental or caregiver stress that often accompanies those undergoing cancer treatment.

Where are they?

The population of children being served at the Children’s Care Academy live within the central west portion of Pinellas County, Florida.

When is the need evident?

Children can be at the academy for several hours a day, often during breakfast, lunch and or dinner times, requiring the need for children to receive a nutritious meal. Some parents may not have the time, energy or financial means to provide nourishing food for their children during their stay at the academy. The need is evident for each child as long as the parent or caregiver is undergoing cancer treatment.

What is the need?

The need for expanding the outreach program is two-fold; to ensure children are receiving nutritious meals and to help ease some parental responsibilties while undergoing cancer treatment. Many parents or caregivers do not have family members or friends available to help care for children during time-consuming cancer treatment sessions. Traditional daycare facilities are fashioned to accommodate working parents requiring payment for services on a continual basis regardless of how often the children attend. Daycare facilities are also very expensive and do not provide nutritious food programs on a complimentary basis. The Children’s Care Academy is designed to care for children coinciding with treatment schedules on a complimentary basis.

Pinellas County is home to a large population of single-working parents struggling to make ends meet. Single families generally face greater challenges in everyday life with less income and less family support. Demanding cancer treatment schedules can further complicate the single-family structure resulting in an even greater need for the resources offered by the Children’s Care Academy of Pinellas.

Why does this need exist?

Parents or caregivers undergoing cancer treatment face a multitude of challenges. Those undergoing treatment become all consumed with vigorous treatment schedules and learning to deal with the aftermath of some of the physical and emotional side effects resulting from treatment. Treatments such as radiation and chemotherpay can take a toll on the body resulting in nausea, vomiting, weakness, loss of appetite and fatigue; leaving little energy to perform even the easiest tasks at home, such as preparing a nutritious meal for the children.

What evidence do you have to support your claim

According to the 2000 census data the incidence rate for newly diagnosed cancer cases in Pinellas County, Florida equal 109.2 per every 100,000 out of a total of 922,261 residents between the years 2008 and 2011. These statistics include all cancer sites and races for both sexes under the age of fifty (“National Cancer Institute,” 2015).

Many of these newly diagnosed cancer cases will require the childcare services of the Children’s Care Academy during the course of cancer treatment.

There have been documented instances at the Children’s Care Academy where children have arrived at the facility hungry. We found many of the children coming to the academy without having had a proper meal before arriving. The academy began researching the reasoning behind the hunger and found the parent or caregiver was just not up to preparing a proper meal due to the ill effects of their cancer treatment. This realization led to the notion of launching the Quick Bites Café to help further our service to the community.

References

National Cancer Institute. (2015). Incidence RateTable. Retrieved from http://statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov/incidencerates/index

What will occur if the needs are met? What will be different – and how?

The two-fold need for expanding the outreach program will be met through the provisons the Quick Bite Café will offer. Children attending the academy will be guaranteed at least one nutritious meal a day while affording a bit of respite for the parent or caregiver for the duration of their cancer treatment.

How is the need linked to your organization?

The Children’s Care Academy of Pinellas is situated to care for children; providing nutritious meals will only help further that care to encourage health, happiness and healing.

In addition to the childcare, tutoring and counseling services we currently provide, including nutritious meals will offer a unique program like no other. Success of the Quite Bites Café will pave the way for additonal facilites to serve a wider opportunity of those in need.