Foster Grandparent Program

Helping Our Children to Thrive at School

As children get ready to start school this month, there are also very special “Grandparents” who are looking forward to the first day of school. For over 50 years the Foster Grandparent Program has been quietly changing the lives of some of our most cherished members of society; our youngest and oldest citizens. 

The Foster Grandparent Program is a national organization run through Senior Corps. It pairs senior volunteers (ages 55 and older) with children who need extra attention, including Head Start students, English Language Learners, kids with health issues or learning disabilities and those in the juvenile justice system. A foster grandparent provides special attention which is often lacking at home.

“Many of these parents are working around the clock to put food on the table and find it difficult to fit in an adequate amount of quality time with their children” says Rebecca Enberg, NCO Program Director, “Foster Grandparents provide that little bit of extra attention some students need to succeed.” North Coast Opportunities Volunteer Network administers the Foster Grandparent Program in Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt, Del Norte and Sonoma counties. This year there is a focus on expanding the number of foster grandparents in all five counties, to serve more children in our schools. 

The children are the obvious beneficiaries, but the program has a positive effect on the senior volunteers as well. For one, it creates meaningful work for an often disenfranchised population. 

“It is contrary to the idea that seniors are frail and need services. Our volunteers provide a valuable service to children in our community”, says Enberg. “This country is filled with vital, healthy seniors who are contributing to society through volunteer service. They make a real, positive difference in their communities.” The oldest volunteer in the program is 98 and the oldest volunteer in the nation recently celebrated her 107^th birthday. Foster grandparents develop the confidence and self-esteem of the children they work with, while also gaining a sense of personal self-worth and value.

“There are many children out there being neglected by their parents”, says Jane Manz, a recently retired foster grandparent from Ukiah, who has spent 12 years in the program. “They get that extra one-on-one understanding from foster grandparents.” Manz tells a story about a young boy she worked with a few years back who always came to school in dirty clothes. She got into the habit of taking his shirt home and washing it so that he’d have a clean one each day. “I can assure you I’m not the only person doing this,” says Manz. “I’ve known volunteers who buy shoes and socks and belts for these children.”

And while foster grandparents give love and support to at-risk children, the program also provides a vital safety net for some volunteers, many of whom live on less than $10,000 a year. All volunteers are given a meal at the site where they work – a true blessing for a food insecure population. And low-income volunteers receive a stipend of $2.65 an hour. It may not seem like much, but for people who have to choose between turning on the heat or going to the dentist, a few hundred dollars a month is a lifesaver. 

“A large percentage of our county population is aging and every year we are identifying more children in schools with exceptional needs,” says Enberg. “This is a cost effective program that we need to grow to serve both of these populations.”

Joyce Komes, a Foster Grandparent in Willits schools, says “I tell these kids, ‘I’m not a teacher, I’m a grandma. I’m here to love you and to keep you safe’.”  She gives one-on-one attention to students and helps with “everything” in her classes. “My favorites are math and art projects,” she says.  Joyce would like to see the program grow - “Every year we have more students who need help in deeper ways than ever before. People think prisons are crowded now…what’s going to happen in 15 years if these kids are abandoned?”

North Coast Opportunities, in partnership with local schools, is expanding the Foster Grandparent Program this fall. For individuals that are interested in being a Foster Grandparent, or may know of someone that this program would benefit, please call Kayla Harrison at 462-1959 for more information and/or to schedule an interview.

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Joan Reynolds has recently joined the NCO Volunteer Network as the Volunteer Network Coordinator. Joan was the Healthy Start Director at Lake County Office of Education for about 20 years, focusing on services for low income student services and family engagement. NCO Volunteer Network is expanding school based programs in Lake and Mendocino counties, which is a good fit for Joan’s background and experience.