Grants For Troubled Teen Treatment Programs

Coming up with the money to pay for a residential treatment program or a wilderness camp program for your troubled teen can be a harrowing experience, as these programs are typically very expensive. If you don't have a few thousand extra dollars sitting around in a bank account, you can try to cover at least part of your child's expenses through grants. Grants are kind of like scholarships in that they are made available to certain groups through the government or private organizations; they are different, though, in that the application process is much more tricky. If you're interested in trying to find a grant for your child's troubled youth treatment program, follow these steps:

1. Look for grants. Search for matching grants online and at your local library. You can even get in touch with your local government, as they may know of some organizations who grant money to people in your situation. Once you've found a few grants that might work, gather all the information you can on what the organization is looking for, the application process, and the deadline, which is very, very important.

2. Get in touch with a grant writer. Grant writing, which is a misnomer because grant writers are actually writing proposals to get the grant money, is a very time-consuming and exacting process. It takes someone who is very talented with words to sum up why your child should get a grant when a hundred other applicants are also vying for the same money. Grant writing isn't a cheap service, but finding a grant writer with a proven track record of winning money can help you gain more money in the end. Plus, the best grant writers are very in tune with the philanthropic societies in their areas, so they can sometimes bring up more grant possibilities that you may have missed.

3. Figure out a contract with your grant writer. Grant writing runs anywhere from $ 30 to $ 90 dollars an hour, which may seem over-the-top. However, if you're a struggling single parent or if you know someone personally who is capable of writing grants, you might be able to pay less or to create a payment plan. Once you've hashed out the details, sign a contract and get to work.

4. Compile the necessary information. Different grant proposals will require different information about yourself, your family, your troubled teen, and the program you're considering sending your troubled youth to. You will have to gather all this information for your grant writer, and the entire grant writing process will take good communication between the two of you.

5. Apply for grants. If you've hired a good writer and have given over all the necessary information, your chances of winning a grant have already gone up tremendously. Once these steps are complete, all you can do is apply for the right grants and wait to hear the organizations' decisions regarding your application. In the meantime, don't give up searching for ways to get your troubled youth the help he needs.