The AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program aims to involve individuals aged 55 and above with limited income in volunteer work to address crucial community needs. It strives to offer a rewarding experience that enhances the lives of these volunteers. The program offers a small hourly stipend and additional benefits which allows the volunteers to participate in the program without any financial burden and to supplement their income. It provides children with essential one-on-one attention, time, patience, unconditional care and nurturing required for their development while also helping seniors stay mentally and physically active.
The national Foster Grandparent Program was established on August 28, 1965, and by 1968, there were 68 projects with 4,100 seniors participating, aiding over 10,000 children.
Wisconsin was granted one of the initial 21 Foster Grandparent Program grants in 1965. The state had 114 Foster Grandparents by September 1965, a number that has now surpassed 450.
Over 10 organizations in Wisconsin support the program across 133 service locations, including public schools, juvenile detention centers, Head Start programs, and child care centers.
Encompass’s Foster Grandparent Program was initiated in 1978 with three Foster Grandparents at the Green Bay Day Nursery thanks to Mary VanDenHeuvel and Marge Bader. In 1991, the Green Bay Day Nursery was renamed Encompass Early Education & Care, Inc. In 2023, Encompass and the Foster Grandparent Program commemorated 45 years of collaboration. The Encompass Foster Grandparents have ranged in age from 55 to 93 years young.
The Encompass Foster Grandparent Program currently has 20 grandparents, each serving classrooms from infant to four years old. Each grandparent is matched with one to four children who have been determined to have special needs, spending at least 30 minutes with each once a week. They also provide nurturing for all of the children in the classroom by feeding, rocking, reading, and helping with school readiness activities.
