1 minute read
FOSTER GRANDPARENTS
by UPOinDC
Wisdom and love combined: Seniors become mentors for children up to age 17 in classrooms, hospitals, and job training programs.
175,494
hours helping children learn
204
Foster Grandparents
IMPACT:
“They are role models,” said Excel Public School Principal Tania Pritchard, who has 6 Foster Grandparents at her school and wishes she had one in every classroom due to their patience, support, positive energy, and how they help students learn by bringing a different perspective than teachers can offer.
There’s also a positive effect on seniors’ health. An independent study showed that after 2 years of service, volunteers had improved health, decreased depression, and less social isolation. (See SeniorCorps. gov/ HealthyVolunteers) “They need me and I need them,” said Foster Grandma Wanda Brookings. “It’s a joy to get up knowing that a smile and a hug is waiting for me. Who wouldn’t want that?”
As a member of the Age-Friendly DC Task Force, UPO helped frame recommendations to Mayor Bowser that became The Age-Friendly DC 2023 Strategic Plan. The initiative marks a major step on the District’s journey to become an age-friendly city.
Our partnerships with the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts’ Senior Enrichment Program, Matthews Memorial Baptist Church, and Department of Aging and Community Living continued to deepen.
Program funding includes federal grants, state grants, and donations from private foundations and residents. Through community support and effective management, the extraordinary service of each Foster Grandparent costs just $5,000 a year; the average Foster Grandparent is 69, serves 20 hours/week and has helped children learn for 6 years.
INVESTMENT:
Training and supervision of these senior mentors in 48 sites across the city, where they primarily support literacy, math, motor skills, and social and emotional skills. All elementary sites are Tier 1 schools, which have an average of 90% low-income students whose average standardized test scores are 30% or below.
NEW:
In keeping with shifts in enrollment and the transition of Pre-K Head Start classes into
District of Columbia Public Schools, the
UPO Foster Grandparent program shifted new resources into DCPS, increasing from 5 to 8 elementary schools for Pre-K.
8,140
students served
- Constance Fernandez, teacher at Anne Beers Elementary School, talking about Sandra Wood, the UPO Foster Grandma who volunteers in her classroom every day
