The Individualized Child Achievement Program (ICAP) is an MPP TFC program enhancement that focuses on educational assistance to children in foster care who are functioning below grade level academically.
When initially implemented ICAP took a huge step forward to advance our mission of “Enhancing the lives of families and children by building on their unique strengths and by developing community to help establish productive and fulfilling lives.” ICAP proved to be an effective, results producing approach to providing supplemental educational support for MPP children in foster care, especially older TFC youth.
Foster children, as they age out of the system at 21, are expected to have an educational competency level such that they can be gainfully employed. In order to accomplish this goal, their academic performance is of utmost importance. From 2004 to present 2015 the typical age range of children entering the MPP TFC is 14-21 years old. Most have multiple placement histories, are very difficult to stabilize in placement and as result of movement in foster care the majority are found performing two or more grade levels below their respective age groups in Math and Reading, based on public school report cards and standardized testing.
The ICAP Program was developed and piloted at the Martin Pollak Project, Inc. in 2004 to provide supplementary instruction for children and youth in a tradition site based program. However the program has been adapted clinical case managers exercising individual advocacy and concrete community based resource activation for these students. A significant number of these youth are currently school rejecting which requires individualized efforts to support academic success.
MPP is currently seeking funding to further adapt ICAP to effectively serve the new population of TFC children and youth.