Pairing Foster Grandparents with children in Head Start
Abstract
The Foster Grandparent Program sponsored by the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities serves children with exceptional or special needs in Franklin County and other central Ohio communities. In 2001, 184 special needs children at 13 Head Start programs received individualized support and assistance from 46 Foster Grandparents. Head Start provides special training to Foster Grandparents in central Ohio communities to help them work with children with disabilities. The Foster Grandparents serving these Head Start children develop relationships where both parties truly benefit. This program was highlighted in the National Service News, Issue No. 157, April 29, 2002, published by the Corporation for National and Community Service.Issue
Children with exceptional or special needs require individual assistance and support in order to improve their development.Action
The Foster Grandparent Program sponsored by the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities serves children with exceptional or special needs in Franklin County and other central Ohio communities. Foster Grandparents are mutually assigned to volunteer stations, including Head Start programs, where they support children identified as needing individual assistance in order to improve academic, social skills, and language development.- Foster Grandparents provide person-to-person assistance to the children through a variety of planned activities and frequent instruction.
- Foster Grandparents are carefully and routinely prepared for their assignments by Head Start personnel.
- Each volunteer receives pre-service orientation and routinely scheduled monthly training and technical assistance that includes information specific to his or her Head Start assignments.
- Individual Written Volunteer Assignment Plans are developed for each Foster Grandparent in conjunction with the children they assist. Foster Grandparents are required to demonstrate an adequate understanding of the plan to the satisfaction of Head Start personnel before beginning to work with the children.
- Individual Written Volunteer Assignment Plans consist of information about the needs of the child that the Foster Grandparent will be serving. Individual Written Volunteer Assignment Plans also include types of activities that the Foster Grandparent might engage in with the child; information that describes in detail the impact of the relationship between the Foster Grandparent and the child; as well as goals and achievements that are planned.
- Individual Written Volunteer Assignment Plans are also used to measure the performance of each Foster Grandparent when Head Start personnel conduct annual performance evaluations. This opportunity provides reliable feedback to the Foster Grandparent, Head Start personnel and the sponsor, and improves the entire learning experience.
Context
The Foster Grandparent Program and the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities have been partners since 1967. The program presently has 150 Foster Grandparents at 59 volunteer stations, located in ten Ohio counties. (April 2002)
Head Start is a child development program that has served low-income children since 1965. Administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, its overall goal is to increase the school readiness of young children in low-income families. Services are responsive to each child's and family's developmental, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage and experience. More than ten percent of Head Start and Early Head Start children have special needs and special training is provided to Head Start staff to help them work with disabled children. Thirteen Head Start Programs are currently serving Ohio communities. (2001)
Foster Grandparents devote their volunteer service to children with special or exceptional needs. These might be children who have been abused or neglected, children needing help reading, troubled teenagers, young mothers, premature infants, or children with physical disabilities or severe illnesses. The Foster Grandparents Program is part of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Foster Grandparents serve children one-on-one. They are 60 years of age or older and serve 20 hours a week, usually 4 hours a day Monday through Friday. They receive a modest tax-free stipend and other benefits and must meet certain income eligibility guidelines.
Outcome
- In 2001, 184 special needs children at 13 Head Start programs received individualized support and assistance from 46 Foster Grandparents.
- The Foster Grandparents serving Head Start children develop relationships where both parties truly benefit. Some children never have the opportunity to know their grandparents and a Foster Grandparent can help fill this void in a child's life. Foster grandparents have the opportunity to see how they can make a difference in the life of a child through this important service.
Evidence
The person-to-person assistance and support provided by Foster Grandparents, under the direction of Head Start personnel, resulted in a measurable improvement in the children's educational, social and expressive language skills documented through assessments conducted at each site by Head Start personnel.
The variety of planned activities and the frequent interactions Foster Grandparents engage in contribute to the children's overall development.
Posted On
May 20, 2002For More Information