Seattle-based Treehouse has been awarded $1.345 million in federal CARES Act funding to provide tutoring and academic remediation while also eliminating financial barriers to success in school for both youth in foster care and young adults in Extended Foster Care (EFC).

The award will fund the Treehouse CARES Project and must be used between now and the end of the year, according to a Feb. 16 Treehouse news release. The nonprofit organization partners with more than 7,800 youth in care, providing access to childhood experiences and critical resources as they plan for the future.

“During the pandemic, we’ve been alarmed by survey results that show academic disengagement impacting school performance. This much-needed temporary funding will allow us to tailor support to individual youth—hopefully until the return to classroom learning,” said Dr. Lisa Chin, Treehouse CEO. “Need is at its highest level right now, and we can’t stress enough the tremendous difference this will make for youth across Washington.”

In addition to tutoring, the funding will cover a variety of materials and resources that encourage engagement in school, including school supplies and equipment, extracurricular activities, summer school and summer camp.

A survey of staff reporting on 1,175 Treehouse participants conducted in late November found 44% statewide require academic remediation, tutoring or homework assistance during the pandemic. In addition, 36% of foster and relative caregivers do not have the resources they need to support their youth’s education.

Each year, Treehouse provides education support services in Washington to about 50 percent of the school-aged children and youth in foster care.

Founded in 1988 by social workers, Treehouse is Washington’s leading nonprofit organization addressing the academic and other essential support needs of more than 7,800 youth in foster care.