Over the past years, we have jokingly referred to our issue areas as “motherhood and apple pie.” Our priority is on being opportunistic and finding strong investments that meet SGP’s demanding investment criteria. From past investments and research we have particular interest in the following areas:

1. Helping the working poor move to economic self-sufficiency is fundamentally intertwined with all our issue areas. Children’s outcomes are directly linked to their parents’ success and home stability. Much public system support creates dependency, encourages negative behaviors (ex. not working versus working) and discourages all the ways people grow: by taking chances, stretching their boundaries, and expanding their networks. For the lowest income families, supports are available in the form of rent subsidies, child care subsidies, food stamps, etc. As their income rises, they lose these subsidies, often leaving their families with less “income” than before. This dynamic is pervasive and probably one key reason 33% of MA children live in families where no parent has full-time, year round employment (Anne E. Casey Foundation, Kidscount Data Center:www.kidscount.org/datacenter/ 2006).

   We have interest in out of the box ideas, programs and policy work that create opportunities and incentives for families to become self-sufficient.

2. Youth development has been a key investment area for SGP as we look to support young people’s movement to self sufficiency and personal success. All SGP grantees working in this arena have one of two central goals in common: getting young people to work and getting them to and through college, an important precursor to self-sufficiency and long term success.
    
3. Education is a critical building block to a strong start in life and ultimately to a livable wage. Two-thirds of all new jobs require higher education or advanced training. Without a good pre-school education, our children are less likely to keep up with their peers. Without a high school diploma, they are likely to make about three times less than a college graduate. And without a college degree or industry certification, it is increasingly difficult to find a job that can help support a family and keep up with rising costs.

   It cannot be any more apparent in today’s economy how much the U.S. needs a trained workforce. Yet, high school drop-out rates are unacceptably high – approximately 40% in Boston. Test scores in MA have improved slightly in recent years but the small percent improvements in testing scores are, in real life, essentially meaningless. Our investments and interests have been in the areas of: 

   • teacher effectiveness though teacher residencies and induction programs;
   • student achievement and engagement through individualized and tailored student support; and
   • school reform through turnaround school models.
      
4. Early Childhood is critical for young children to enter classrooms ready to learn. We are looking to invest in “game changing” ideas for children ages 0 to 5 in low income areas outside of Boston, work with family providers who have the youngest at risk children, and interventions that positively alter parents’ child rearing behaviors.
    
5. Child Welfare's goal is for each child to have a permanent, safe home. Children are best raised at home with a family. Although extremely dire circumstances exist where children must be placed in a residential facility, long term stays in institutions do not correlate with successful outcomes for children. Our investments in child welfare have focused on family restoration and family permanence. Stepping down children from residential facilities and preventing unnecessary placements are key objectives.
    
6. Teen Pregnancy is an issue that bubbled to the surface as we considered key root causes for entrenched poverty. National teen pregnancy rates mask the rising rate of pregnancy among teenagers in very low income cities, particularly young teenagers. Becoming pregnant derails a young person’s chance at leading a productive, self-sufficient life.