 |
  |
Forming Special Bonds with Children Foster Grandparents of Wyandotte County / Kansas City, Kansas is a special volunteer initiative sponsored by Catholic Charities. Volunteers age 60 and older work directly with children in schools, day cares, Head Start, and other settings. Foster Grandparents is a federal program to provide meaningful work to senior citizens. Those who meet the income guidelines are paid a stipend for the hours they work, and have meals, transportation, and red "Grandparent" jackets provided. Grandparents are eligible for sick leave, vacation leave, and holidays. Grandparents are provided with extensive training, both before they begin work and after they have been assigned to a site. Currently, there are ninety-two Grandparents active in Wyandotte County . They work from 15 to 40 hours each week. A "Grandma" or "Grandpa" may be assigned to work with one child or a small group on reading or math. Many are linked with children in pre-school to do pre-reading activities such as language development, vocabulary, or number recognition. Often, the Grandparents help children to develop social skills. No matter what specific work they are doing, the Grandparents offer a caring attitude and a willingness to listen to children who need attention from an older adult. The special relationship between a Foster Grandparent and a child is at the heart of the program. For more information, or to join the program as a special "Foster Grandparent" to a child, call (913)621-5255, ext. 159.
|
