The North Carolina Foundation for Public Schools (the Foundation) Children’s Fund is a resource for public-school employees seeking assistance on behalf of public-school students for items and services that impact the academic environment.  The fund is reserved for circumstances in which needs directly related to the learning experience cannot be met by other resources.  According to the Foundation, "other resources" refers to Medicaid or other state social services, private insurance, school budgets or waivers, Parent Teacher Associations, community services, food pantries, local foundations, local civic groups, and Prevent Blindness (for vision needs).  When these resources fail to provide assistance, the Foundation's goal is to meet immediate student needs as quickly as possible.

Eligible Entities

ONLY North Carolina public school personnel (teachers, guidance counselors, school nurses, etc.) are eligible to request assistance on behalf of Pre-K through 12 students in the school in which they are employed.

Eligible Expenses

The Foundation specifies the following items, evaluated on a case-by-case basis, as eligible for payment through the fund ONCE during a school year:

• School supplies,
• Clothing/shoes,
• Prescriptions (one 30-day supply per student per academic year),
• Medical and other expenses for a good or service that impacts school attendance and performance,
• Critical dental services,
• Eyeglasses,
• Hearing devices,
• Eye exams IF medically necessary,
• Musical instruments for band classes, and
• Food.

To further clarify eligible costs, the Foundation enumerates goods and services for which the fund will NOT make payment:

• Mortgage, rent, hotel housing, utilities, furniture, mattresses, groceries and other household expenses.
• Childcare,
• Summer camps,
• Maintenance and routine medical services,
• Maintenance and routine dental services (dental exams, braces, veneers, other cosmetic dentistry, or measures to repair or save “baby” teeth),
• School property damage fees, and
• Non-school activities such as dance, karate, etc.

Due to the workload of its small staff, the Foundation does not respond to requests made for items/services that fall outside of its guidelines.

Next Steps

Requests made by school personnel on behalf of a student must be submitted electronically via the Foundation website.  Upon approval of the request, an email from the Foundation will be sent to the applicant that states the Foundation has approved the request at a stated dollar amount that serves as a commitment to pay.  The Foundation's commitment must be received prior to incurring an expense for a service or good.

To apply for aid for a student, submit a Request for Assistance from the Children's Fund, 2023-2024.

For further information, go to Children's Fund - North Carolina Foundation (ncfpsc.org), or call 984-222-3625.