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The Foster Grandparent Program offers seniors age 60 and older opportunities to serve as mentors, tutors, and caregivers for more than 80,000 children and youth with exceptional needs. Nationally, nearly 24,000 Foster Grandparents volunteer in schools, hospitals, drug treatment facilities, correctional institutions, and Head Start and day care centers serving more than 80,000 children and teenagers. The Texas Foster Grandparent Program has 1,150+ volunteers volunteering 1,200,600 of service. This impacts critical community needs as does the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program with 33,296 volunteers in Texas serving 1,200,600 hours, and the Senior Companion Program with 554 volunteers in Texas serving 578,376 hours. Institutionalized care for a child or youth is $44,000 per year. The annual federal cost for one Foster Grandparent serving 20 hours per week is $3,760. It is a smart investment. The Texoma Foster Grandparent Program has 50 volunteers giving 41,760 volunteer service hours per year helping children and youth with exceptional needs. We have seen marked improvement that is directly attributable to Foster Grandparent mentoring/tutoring in many of the young people assigned to our program. The heart of the program is the one-on one daily attention that Foster Grandparents provide, helping young people grow, gain confidence, and become more full and productive members of society.
Foster Grandparents must meet certain income eligibility requirements and be at least 60 years of age. In addition, they must also love children and be willing to devote fifteen to forty hours a week to service. They receive a modest, tax-free stipend, assistance with transportation, meals during service, annual physical examinations, and accident and liability insurance while on duty. In addition to these benefits, the Foster Grandparents receive 40 hours of pre-service orientation and monthly training. It is a program that benefits both young people and seniors.
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