Caddo Parish, LA – According to the statement, the awards honor innovative, effective county and parish government programs that strengthen services for residents.
Officials said that the National Association of Counties recognized the Parish’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program and Parks and Recreation’s “Wild Child” Summer Camp and Youth Crime Prevention Program.
The Emergency Rental Assistance Program was reportedly developed in response to the growing need of rental assistance as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Funded by several allocations from the American Rescue Plan, the Parish facilitated the disbursement of over 40 million dollars in rental assistance to over 14,000 families.
Officials also said that the “Wild Child” Summer Camp is designed to allow children ages 8-12 to connect with nature.
The camp uses two weekly themes, Nature of Art and Outdoor Skills, to give children direct experience in the outdoors and inspire observation, appreciation, and understanding of the natural world.
The art-focused weeks use children’s natural desire to discover and create innovative ways to teach math, science, language, technology, natural history, and more.
Outdoor Skills weeks feature activities such as canoeing, archery, fire-building, and water-quality testing to help children acquire life-long skills they will use to enjoy outdoor recreation for years to come.
The awards will officially be presented to the Parish at NACo’s Annual Conference and Exposition in Adams County, Colo on July 23.