Washtenaw County Foster Grandparent Program

Mission: To engage Americans 55 years and older in volunteer service and to provide one-on-one support to children to improve their academic, social, or emotional development.

The Foster Grandparent Program offers a unique opportunity for income-eligible seniors to provide educational support and mentorship to youth in school and daycare settings throughout the county. Since 1965, the Foster Grandparent Program has provided valuable aid to children and youth with special needs nationally. The program started in 1968 in Washtenaw County, and every year since then, Foster Grandparents have been role models, mentors, and friends.

The Foster Grandparent Program engages low-income seniors 55 years of age and older, in volunteer service to meet important community needs and to provide experiences that will enrich the lives of of our volunteers. Volunteers receive a financial stipend, training, and professional development to better understand the needs of youth that they work with.

Grandparents serve locally at schools, daycare and Head Start centers, and other youth facilities. Foster Grandparents help children learn to read, provide one-on-one tutoring, and guide children at a critical time in their lives. Put simply, they give the kind of comfort and love that sets a child on the path toward a successful future.

Foster Grandparents serve 20 hours a week and are matched up with volunteer stations according to their interests, community needs, and distance between the volunteer station and the volunteer’s home. Once the location is set, Volunteers are then matched with youth who need extra support. Grandparents engage them in activities that develop literacy, provide emotional support and serve as a role model.