‘Plenty of hugs’
Foster grandparents make a difference
Grandparents of ten hold a special place in one’s heart, so it’s no surprise that volunteers i n the Whi te River Area Agency on Aging’s Foster Grandparent Program are making a difference in the lives of children.
Sheila Goff, the agency’s project director for the Foster Grandparent Program, said the federally funded program is part of Senior Corps, which is celebrated nationally with Senior Corps Week, May 15-19.
“Senior Corps Week is about recognizing the impact that Senior Corps volunteers make across the nation every day,” Goff said.
But the Foster Grandparent Program not only benefits the students, it benefits the grandparents too.
“It’s multigenerational. The program benefits our seniors, and it benefits the kids,” Goff said. “The connections they make with children and the difference they make is intangible.
“It gives the foster grandparents purpose and a reason to get up and out every day. The children are really like grandchildren to them. In fact, most of the foster grandparents are called ‘grandma’ or ‘grandpa’ and build deep relationships with the kids,” Goff said.
Willie Mae Rowland, a foster grandparent in the program, serves at Newport Elementary School.
“I’ve been a foster grandparent for five years,” Rowland said. “I work with the first-graders.”
“I work with the kids who need help. I read to them and help them out throughout the day.”
Rowland said she loves working with the children.
“A lot of them say things like ‘Grandma, I don’t get hugs at home. Can I hug you?’ I tell them I have plenty of hugs, and they can
give me hugs anytime they feel like it,” Rowland said.
“They might not get any attention other places, but they sure get it from me,” she said.
Rowland said a friend told her about the program and insisted that she’d make a good foster grandparent.
“I thought I’d give it a try. My friend said the kids just need someone to talk to,” Rowland said.
“I did give it a try, and I loved it. I really enjoy it. I’ve been able to understand the students,” she said.
“I think working with them has made me a better person, seeing so many of them who just need someone to talk to and be nice to them. … I like doing it,” she said.
Goff said the foster grandparents are able to show the children love and affection.
“So many of these children are lacking at home. They may not have a grandparent who lives nearby, so they don’t get the wisdom and experience from their own grandparents that foster grandparents provide,” Goff said.
She said that aside from the relationships they have, the foster grandparents also help the grandchildren in the classroom.
“Foster grandparents can spend one-on-one time with children and be the extra eyes and ears in the classroom,” Goff said. “Having a grandparent in the classroom brings a sense of respect and calmness.
“They help the children with their ability to read, write and develop positive social skills.”
Goff said foster grandparents are assigned to children with exceptional needs in Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Jackson, Sharp, Stone, Van Buren, White and Woodruff counties. The program has been around since 1965 and has been a part of the White River Area Agency on Aging for about 37 years.
“An exceptional need can be a disability, children who’ve been abused or neglected, children with an incarcerated parent, children in foster care, etc. The list goes on and on,” Goff said.
“At the beginning of each year, we send school assignment plans to the schools, and they assign the children. At the end of the year, we send out surveys for each assignment plan to see how the students have progressed over the year,” Goff said.
“The foster grandparents really make a big difference in their progression,” she said.
Goff said foster grandparents are volunteers who receive stipends.
“Meals are included when they’re at the school. They get paid for mileage, they have to have a physical once a year, and those are donated, and they receive in-service training,” Goff said.
She said schools provide training as well.
“To be a foster grandparent, you must be 55 or older, be able to pass a background check and have a love for children,” Goff said. “We are presently in 22 schools, and we’re always seeking volunteers.”
Ted Hall, executive director of the White River Area Agency on Aging, said the agency is very proud of its foster grandparents.
“We’re proud of the program. The schools just love having them,” Hall said.
“I’m familiar with foster grandparents from my history in education. I know the benefits of it,” he said.
“They attach to kids who need that special pat on the back, hug or just that attention that I think only grandparents understand,” Hall said. “What better way to serve your community and public school than as a foster grandparent?”
For more information on the Foster Grandparents Program, contact Goff at (800) 382-3205 or visit wraaa.com.