Do Foster Grandparents Keep Children All Year Round?
Foster Grandparents Aren’t Part of the “Foster System”
Foster Grandparents are part of SeniorCorps, a national service volunteer force that is not part of the local ‘foster care system’. “Foster parents” house foster children because parents are deemed unfit or have passed away. Foster Grandparents, on the other hand, are a vital part of the volunteers who serve schools, daycare and similar facilities.
What Do Foster Grandparents Do?
Foster Grandparents volunteer regularly in a childcare setting. In their volunteer roles, Foster Grandparents are tutors, childcare assistants or mentors. Their job is to make the programs better, to encourage the children, and to lend their experience to the organization in which they serve.
Foster Grandparents do not keep children overnight, house them in any way or keep children year round. This is, as stated, the job of the foster care system.
Foster Grandparents Can Get Paid
Foster Grandparents can receive a tax-free stipend, if they are eligible, for the volunteer work they do on behalf of children. To become a Foster Grandparent, locate a local agency that trains and assigns senior volunteers. It should be affiliated with SeniorCorps and the federal Foster Grandparent program.
Service Benefits Seniors Too
Most Foster Grandparents find that their service has benefited them not only the children. They report that they are healthier and happier than they were without their volunteer job. No doubt it is the close and happy contact with children that makes them feel this way.
Flexible Placement In Foster Grandparents Program
The Foster Grandparents program is voluntary. Each person fills out an application and may make requests about their placement. You can choose the way to serve.
Related posts:
- How Am I Matched With The Children As A Foster Grandparent?
- What Is The Foster Grandparent Program And What Do I Need To Do?
- How Do I Become A Foster Grandparent?
One Response to “Do Foster Grandparents Keep Children All Year Round?”
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I have two grown grandchildren here in Tucson, and two grandbabies who live in another state. Right now I am involved as a Therapy dog team member. We visit children at a rehab. center. I would like to be involved with children with whom I can have more of a one on one experience with.
Thank you,
Betty R.