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County staff seek $9.6 million appropriation to launch Family Hope Project; enrollment delayed to 2026
Summary
Mike Bowser said the Family Hope Project received a $25,000 corporate gift and expects a $1,440,000 U.S. Treasury award to fund an independent evaluator; County staff introduced Ordinance No. 25156, a $9.6 million grant appropriation to be considered Dec. 9 that staff said will be reimbursed by fundraising partners.
Mike Bowser of New Castle County Community Services updated the committee Nov. 25 on the Family Hope Project (CIPRA), saying the program’s launch is now expected in early 2026 following federal delays.
Bowser announced a $25,000 donation from M&T Bank and said the project team expects an award from the U.S. Department of the Treasury of $1,440,000 to cover the cost of an independent evaluator. “We finalized their dates and requirements, and we’ve received all of our necessary approvals to move forward on their end,” Bowser said. He said the county expects to present the Treasury award and related vendor arrangements at the Dec. 9 council meeting.
Bowser also said the county is introducing Ordinance No. 25156 tonight, to be considered Dec. 9, that would appropriate $9,600,000 to establish the Family Hope Project grant budget and allow staff to prepare vendor contracts and begin implementation. He told the committee that the appropriation would be reimbursed by upfront funding commitments from the project’s fundraising partners.
Bowser described next steps including governance committee launches in January, coordination with the Hope Center, YWCA and Tech Impact on implementation and data collection, and the submission of an institutional review board application by the evaluator. He said the team hopes to enroll the first cohort in early 2026 but allowed that January enrollment is a possibility.
Council members offered brief praise; no online public comment was recorded. The committee did not vote on the ordinance at this meeting; the ordinance was introduced for full council consideration on Dec. 9.
