FEDERAL AGENCY:

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

AUTHORIZATION:

Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended, Title II, Part B, Section 211, Public Law 93-113, 42 U.S.C. 5011, as amended; National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, Public Law 103-82.

OBJECTIVES:

The Foster Grandparent Program provides grants to qualified agencies and organizations for the dual purpose of engaging persons 60 or older, with limited incomes, in volunteer service to meet critical community needs; and to provide a high quality volunteer experience that will enrich the lives of the volunteers. Program funds are used to support Foster Grandparents in providing supportive, person to person service to children with exceptional or special needs.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

The grants may be used for: low-income Foster Grandparent stipends, transportation, physical examinations and meals; staff salaries and fringe benefits, staff travel, equipment, space costs, etc. An amount equal to 80 percent of the corporation for National Service's Federal share must be used for Foster Grandparent direct benefits. Assignment of Foster Grandparents to children and youth may occur in residential and non-residential facilities, including preschool establishments and to children living in their own homes. Volunteers are not to supplant hiring or displace employed workers, or impair existing contracts for service. No agency supervising volunteers shall request or receive compensation for services of the volunteers. Volunteers are not to be involved in and funds are not to be used for religious activities, labor or anti-labor organization, lobbying, or partisan or non-partisan political activities. In addition, eligible agencies or organizations may, with a Nofice of Grant Award from the Corporation for National and Community Service, receive technical assistance and materials to aid in establishing and operating a non-Corporation funded Foster Grandparent Program project using state, local and private funds.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   Grants are made only to State and local government agencies and private nonprofit organizations.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   Foster Grandparents must be: 60 years of age or older, with an income within limits determined by the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (based on the Department of Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines), and interested in serving infants, children, and youth with special or exceptional needs. (However, individuals who are not income eligible may serve as non- stipended volunteers under certain conditions.) They must be physically, mentally, and emotionally capable and willing to serve selected infants, children or youth on a person-to-person basis.

Credentials/Documentation:   The applicant must furnish evidence of: availability of income-eligible older persons, eligible volunteer stations, and the ability to provide sufficient matching nonfederal funds. Nonprofit organizations must furnish: proof of nonprofit status, articles of incorporation, and certification of accounting capability. Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circulars No. A-21 for educational institutions, No. A-87 for State and local governments and No. A-122 for nonprofit organizations.

Pre-application Coordination:   Organizations interested in exploring the possibility of developing a local FGP project should contact the appropriate Corporation for National and Community Service State Program Office. The application forms (modified by the Corporation for National and Community Service with OMB approval), as furnished by the Corporation for National and Community Service and required by OMB Circular No. A-102, must be used for this Program. This Program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the Program for review.

Application Procedure:   Applications are submitted to the Corporation for National and Community Service State Program Office. This Program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110 and A-102 for State and local governments.

Award Procedure:   Grants are awarded by the Corporation for National and Community Service. States will be notified of awards through the Federal Assistance Awards Data System (FAADS).

Deadlines:   Contact the Corporation for National and Community Service State Office for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   120 days after receipt of application by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Appeals:   No formal appeals for denial of initial grant application, but regulations provide for hearings on terminations and suspensions, and opportunity to show cause in cases of denial of refunding.

Renewals:   Grant renewal applications, usually required annually, are submitted 120 days prior to the end of the current budget period.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   This Program has no statutory formula. Generally, at least 10 percent of the total project costs must be met by the applicant. In exceptional cases, the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service may make grants in excess of 90 percent of total project budget costs.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   Grant budget periods generally are 1 year, with an opportunity to amend each year. Grant payments are done through the DHHS Payment Management System.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Semi-annual Financial Status Report, Project Progress Report, Federal Cash Transactions Report, Project Profile and Volunteer Activity Survey, Natonal Accomplishment Survey, and customer Satisfaction survey.

Audits:   The Corporation for National and Community Service grants are subject to audit by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the General Accounting Office, other Federal agencies, and contract auditors. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations, "grantees that receive financial assistance of $300,000 or more a year in Federal awards shall have an audit made in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-133. Grantees that receive between $25,000 and $300,000 a year in Federal awards shall have an audit made in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-133, or in accordance with Federal laws and Regulations governing the programs in which they participate.

Records:   All financial records for each budget period, including receipts, disbursements, and vouchers for Federal and non-Federal costs; copies of all contracts; personnel records; and job descriptions must be available for a period of 3 years from date of submission of Final Financial Status Report.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:   44-0103-0-1-506.

Obligations:   FY 01 $95,067,000; FY 02 est $103,140,000 and FY 03 est $103,140,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  
The range of financial assistance is from $0 to $1,917,775.
The average of financial assistance is $323,863.

As of fiscal year 2002, the Foster Grandparent Program provided 23,400 volunteer service years (VSYs) to 321 community-based projects. There were also 18 non-Corporation projects. A total of 220,000 children with special or exceptional needs were served during the year. Special emphasis was placed on terminally ill children, juvenile delinquents, pregnant teenagers, boarder babies and abused children.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

45 CFR 2552; Foster Grandparent Program brochure.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:   See Regional Agency Offices. CNCS maintains state offices in most States. Refer to the CNCS website for address and contact information: http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/contact-us/state-service-commissions/all.

Headquarters Office:   Tamika Becton Corporation for National and Community Service Senior Corps - FGP 250 E Street, SW, Washington, District of Columbia 20525 Email: tbecton@cns.gov Phone: 202-606-5000

Web Site Address:  
http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/senior-corps/foster-grandparents

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

The following exemplifies FGP service: Foster Grandparents serve seriously ill children, many with cancer, at a medical center. The volunteers help the children deal with their illnesses, as well as their temporary separation from their families. While often afraid of the hospital staff, the children "know" that they can trust their Foster Grandparents. Another Foster Grandparent who serves HIV/AIDS toddlers promotes social interaction, sensory stimulation and perception, emotional well-being and language development. Two other Foster Grandparents offer chess instruction to at-risk, elementary school children for 10-week sessions in an effort to provide behavioral modification. Foster Grandparents serve in various settings byh assisting children with a variety of physical, emotional, mental, or learning needs. The follow statistics suggest the scope of their service. In fiscal year 1997, 771 Foster Grandparents served in over 215 residential and juvenile detention centers where they assisted youth by providing adult guidance, companionship, and emotional support. Over 9,000 Foster Grandparents served at approximately 3,200 schools where they helped children with literacy needs and a range of other problems. Over 4,100 Foster Grandparents served in Head Start Centers. Some 717 Foster Grandparents served as adult role models and taught parenting skills to over 4,300 teenage mothers. In the area of substance abuse, almost 900 foster Grandparents provided counseling and assistance to almost 5,000 youth.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

The corporation-wide evaluation criteria: program design: getting things done; well-documented compelling community needs(s); well-designed activities with measurable goals and objectives that meet community needs; well-defined roles for participants that lead to measurable outcomes/impact; effective involvement of target community in planning/implementation; ability to provide or secure effective technical assistance. Strengthening Communities: Strong community partnerships, including well-defined roles for community partners; Potential for sustainability, innovation, and/or replicability of project activities; enhance capacity of organizations and institutions; mobilization of community resources, including volunteers; Bring together people of diverse backgrounds. Participant Development; Effective plan for recruiting, developing, training, supervising, and recognizing participants; Well-designed plan to engage participants in high-quality service-learning as defined by the Corporation; well-designed plan for participants to learn to serve together with people of diverse backgrounds. Organizational Capacity: Ability to provide sound programmatic and fiscal oversight; sound track record in the issue areas(s) to be addressed by the project; well- defined roles for staff and administrators; well-designed plans or systems for self-assessment, evaluation and continuous improvement. Budget/Cost-Effectiveness: Adequate budget to support program design; commitment of applicant organization/host agency to securing resources for program implementation and/or sustainability; cost-effectiveness within program guidance.