In Tempe, Arizona, an innovative pilot program is set to assist nearly 70 families with a reliable financial boost. As detailed by ABC15, the Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA), with the help of an anonymous donor, has launched the Puente Project, which will provide selected families at Thew Elementary School $200 per month for a span of three years.
According to ABC15, the aid is given with no conditions, letting families spend it on their most urgent needs. TCAA CEO Phillip Scharf said the money could mean a child gets a healthy breakfast every day, helping them learn better. Xavier Gonzalez, TCAA’s senior manager of economic mobility, added, “We trust the families.” The program shows confidence in families’ ability to decide what’s best for them.
TCAA chose third graders at Thew Elementary School for the program, seeing this year as an important stage in a child’s education. Along with financial help, TCAA will look at social factors that may affect learning. Students who leave Thew Elementary will no longer be part of the program, keeping the support focused on the local school…