The Philadelphia Police Foundation today at a news conference at the Police Administration Building announced the creation of the Children of Police Scholarship (COPS) Fund, a new educational program that will fill an unmet need to provide for the elementary (K-8) educational needs of children of Philadelphia Police officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty.

Maureen Rush, Board President of the nonprofit Philadelphia Police Foundation and Vice President for Public Safety and Superintendent of Police at the University of Pennsylvania, said the new COPS Fund is in partnership with the Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia, which will administer and monitor distribution to families. The Connelly Foundation, located in West Conshohocken, has provided the initial funding so children ages 5-13 of the officers will now be able to access educational funds for schools of their choice in Philadelphia.

“Initial funding of $300,000 for three years also gives us the potential to increase the funds to $500,000 for five years through public fundraising and a potential matching grant from the Connelly Foundation,” Rush explained. “The Philadelphia Police Foundation is extremely pleased that the Connelly Foundation and the Children’s Scholarship Foundation Philadelphia is partnering with us to professionally administer the COPS Fund.”

Rush said the Police Foundation developed the concept for the scholarship fund to help families of these young boys and girls after consulting with the Connelly Foundation, Philadelphia Police Department, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5 President John McNesby, and Ina Lipman, Executive Director of Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia.

“This new fund will enable police families to send their children to the Philadelphia school of their choice,” Rush said.

Police Commissioner Richard Ross thanked the Philadelphia Police Foundation and the Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia for not only identifying this unmet and critical need, but also for seeking additional funding for the COPS Fund. He also thanked the Connelly Foundation for helping to inaugurate the fund.

“In today’s environment, it is extremely important that people and organizations like the Philadelphia Police Foundation lead the way in their public support of our police officers. I hope their example spreads throughout the city of Philadelphia,” Ross said.

Contributions can be made to the Children of Police Scholarship (COPS) Fund by visiting www.phillypolicefoundation.org.

The nonprofit Philadelphia Police Foundation was established in 1999 by civic and corporate leaders in the Philadelphia region as “A Force Behind the Shield.” In the past two years, the PPF has raised and distributed over $1 million for equipment, programs and training not included in the city’s budgets, but of immediate importance to the Police Department.