Kodem Kol Grant Program

The Baltimore-Washington area has the fifth largest Orthodox Jewish population in the United States. Baltimore City ranks 56th of all counties reported across the United States in the religion census, for persons of the Orthodox Jewish faith. However, the families in this community have historically been underrepresented in public agencies and local early intervention programs. Given the unique nature of the Orthodox Jewish community, specifically tailored outreach services are needed to adequately provide access to early intervention programming. The grant program is intended to address this issue by funding additional services within the Orthodox Jewish community. The grant is facilitated by an Orthodox Jewish provider who attends Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), provides cultural awareness and sensitivity to LEA personnel, and coordinates marketing outreach in community publications. These supports typically benefit 80 to 100 families within the Orthodox Jewish community of Baltimore City.