Business-nonprofit collaboration sparks new social work grad student scholarship
Social work graduate students interested in specializing in supporting the mental health needs of Illinois schoolchildren from adoptive, foster and kinship families are eligible to apply for a new scholarship.
The new Sweet Peach Tree iCARE4 Adoption Competency Scholarship for School Social Workers is an annual $500 award, with the first winner to be announced in October. It is the result of a collaboration between Sweet Peach Tree Marketplace, a Wilmette-based purveyor of natural hair and skin care products for multiracial families, and iCARE4 Adoptive and Foster Families, a nonprofit based in Lake Forest.
“As a mom and advocate, I know firsthand how vital it is for adoptive and foster families to feel truly seen and supported,” said Kate Shanahan, founder of Sweet Peach Tree Marketplace and the mother of both a biological daughter, age 12, and an adopted daughter, who is 5.
“School social workers are on the front lines, shaping the experiences of these families every day,” said Shanahan, who is funding the scholarship through 2028. “When we invest in those who support our families, we create a world where every child feels truly valued, loved and celebrated.”
Eligible to apply are social work graduate students in their final year of graduate school or internship in Illinois who have completed the School-Based Mental Health Professional Training for Adoption Competency. Developed by the Center for Adoption Support and Education, or C.A.S.E., the training includes eight modules covering topics including attachment, loss and grief, trauma-informed assessment and best practices for mental health support. The training is available at adoptionsupport.org/case-training-institute/school-based-mental-health-professionals-training.
Laura Adams, who is also a biological and adoptive mom, as well as president/CEO of iCARE4 Adoptive and Foster Families, said the new scholarship will help further the nonprofit’s aims.
“We are here to educate, equip and empower all who raise, teach or support adoptive, foster and kinship families,” she said of iCARE. “With over 300,000 children from these families attending Illinois schools, it is imperative that school social workers receive the training necessary to understand their unique needs.”
To review the list of required application materials and to apply for the scholarship, visit icare4aaff.org/scholarship-application-portal between April 1 and the Sept. 1 deadline.
For more information about iCARE4 Adoptive and Foster Families, or to make a donation, visit icare4aaff.org, or contact Laura Adams at laura@icare4aaff.org.
For additional information about Sweet Peach Tree Marketplace, visit sweetpeachtree.com or email info@sweetpeachtree.com.