From The The Columbus Republic – a great feature on Foster Grandparents.
Foster grandparenting is a volunteer activity, and it is hard to distinguish between who is giving and who is receiving because the rewards are equally distributed among the children and the volunteers.
As an official program, it’s been in existence for 60 years, but over the years its purpose has changed. The original intent was to provide income opportunities to low-income seniors, but it’s now open to all seniors, and low-income seniors receive small stipends. It began at Muscatatuck State Hospital, but when that institution closed, the focus shifted toward public schools.
Then, thirty years ago, Thrive Alliance, which is Indiana’s Agency on Aging for Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson and Jennings counties, took over and is federally funded by AmeriCorps, an agency founded in 1993 with a domestic mission like what the Peace Corps does internationally. There are currently 30 volunteers working in 19 locations.
“We have volunteers from ages 55 to those in their 90s,” said current program director Russell J. Bonanno. “Three have been in the program for 20 years.”
He noted that its benefits to teachers and schools have become more important as state law has tightened up student retention goals. He cited a particular school where “volunteers have been adopted as full members of the community. It now has 100 percent reading proficiency for third graders. I don’t want to say that’s all because of our volunteers, but there’s a relationship.”
How do schools and the program get together?
“We approach the schools, but it’s sort of a balancing act,” said Bonanno. “Every school we approach wants to take part. So now our issue is getting enough volunteers.”
What is being done to address that?
“We focus a lot on word of mouth,” Bonanno said. “Schools with volunteers certainly mention it to parents, who often know older people.”
Bonanno is the program’s fifth director. He’s been in the position for a year. He has a master’s degree in education and counseling psychology, the earning of which involved “a lot of classroom observation.”
Before he retired, he was CEO of LIFEDesigns Inc., an agency in Monroe, Lawrence and Owen counties that ran group homes for developmentally challenged people. It was founded in 2012 and merged with Developmental Services Inc. in 2021.
Volunteers are in the schools every day. They have varying schedules. Some are there three days a week, although many work the same number of hours as teachers. Some even tutor students in their homes. Volunteers are not responsible for discipline, so the relationship with students can have a mentorship focus. Bonanno provides training prior to volunteers coming on board.
“The kids come to call the volunteers Grandpa Roy or Grandma Mary,” he said.
He said, “AmeriCorps has already determined how much it will spend in this area. If the program grows, funding will have to come from somewhere else.”
The program hosts recognition events, such as presenting lifetime achievement awards, which are given for at least 10,000 hours or four years of volunteer service. The volunteers benefit as much as the students.
Bonanno said, “There’s lots of research to show that for seniors, getting out and serving a community improves psychological and physical health.”
It’s hoped that the program will continue to grow, and funding will rise, so both youth and seniors can continue to flourish and connect.