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.
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:
$0 to $1,949,000; Average: $318,333.
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: Corporation for National and Community
Service as listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog under the Corporation
for National and Community Service.
Headquarters Office:
National Senior Service Corps, Foster Grandparent Program, Corporation
for National and Community Service, 1201 New York Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20525. Telephone: (202) 606- 5000 and 1-800-424-8867.
Web Site Address: http://www.nationalservice.org
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.
