The Screenworkers' Family Care Grant
Because choosing between making a living doing what we love and making a life with the ones we love, shouldn’t even be a choice.
Parents have had to make inexplicable sacrifices in these last few years. With many schools and daycare centers shuttering due to Covid-19 closures, many families were left alone to navigate an already debilitating childcare crisis, further exacerbated by the pandemic.
In the fall of 2020, about 1.6 million more mothers were forced from the labor force than would’ve been expected without school closures according to an analysis of employment data.
This problem was further compounded for non-parental caregivers who were still responsible for contributing to the care of loved ones without the legal and monetary protections available to birth and adoptive parents.
We thank our partners at The Mom Project and MomProject.org for blazing the trail and going first. Now, the legacy continues thanks to the generous contributions of our many private donors and foundations. With their help, and yours, we will continue fighting workforce displacement for parents, guardians, and caregivers in the screen industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are three (3) primary criteria:
(1) Must be a narrative-focused screen professional;
(2) Currently working on a narrative project or promised to return within 90 days; and
(3) Must be able to demonstrate parents, guardian, or caregiver status.
Women, BIPOC, and others identifying within intersectionally marginalized demographics are strongly encouraged to apply.
Nonfiction film mamas, see here.
Though this is the first time that Reel Families for Change will be administering this program, our team has over eighty collective years of experience with acceleration and accessibility programming.
Our instructors are all industry leaders, versed in the nuances of executive leadership, wealth management, business profitability and scale, BIPOC business ownership, and running a profitable creative business.
Naturally, there are always things to learn when conducting a project or program for the first time, but we’ve all committed to bringing our proven best practices to the table to see our communities and our peers thrive.
(1) Visit our Care Grant Application page.
(2) Enter the portal.
(3) Complete the application.
(4) Submit.
Please note that while we are a mighty team, we are also a tiny one.
We request 3-5 weeks for review and determination announcements.
Yes.
Because this is a need-based grant, we may ask you to provide verification of use for care. Example of care costs include but do not have to be limited to: childcare, adult day care, medication, groceries, and utilities.
When possible, RFC will conduct direct transfers of payment on your behalf. Any information provided to us will be kept confidential and used solely for that purpose.
Grants are awarded each month.
If you are awarded a grant, we ask that you wait six (6) months before reapplying. Please note that we are diligently working on sustainable solutions to minimize an individual’s need for multiple grant disbursements.
If you apply and aren’t selected for that grant month, your application will immediately be forwarded for consideration the following month. You do not need to re-apply unless your circumstances have significantly changed since your original submission.
There were a number of things that made this grant possible.
1) The data. We firmly believe that statistics + stories + strategies = success. We already knew the stories, but when we saw the stats we were able to design strategies. The key was finding others who believed in finding a solution as much as we did.
2) Relationship. A pre-existing relationship with The Mom Project, from the user-side, made it possible for us to present the opportunity for collaboration– and the stats sealed the deal.
3) Outreach. Sharing the information about our work allowed us to find new partners, donors, and service leaders who helped have helped us continue doing this important work for families in the screen industry.
Want to know more about our data, our partnership, or what’s next? Email press@reelfamilies.org for more.
Want to introduce care subsidies into your production-based business or interested in sponsoring us? Contact us at partnerships@reelfamilies.org today.
Thanks to the feedback of previous applicants, we were able to make some improvements to our process, including but not limited to:
- Monthly distributions of funds.
Rather than multiple distributions quarterly, we will select one monthly grantee. If you are not selected one month, you do not have to re-apply — unless your circumstances substantially change. All remaining applications will automatically be submitted in the next month’s application pool. - Early Access Verification.
Previously, there was a two-step verification process for applying. We will now take all verification documents during the application process to expedite the review and distribution of funds. - Expedited distribution of funds.
Grant funds are now being held in escrow to allow for their rapid transfer upon approval.
If you have a specific question and don’t see an answer here, feel free to reach out to us on our Contact Page.
You can also drop us a line at grants@reelfamilies.org and a member of our Care Team will be happy to assist you.