ND Senior Career Development is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are an AmeriCorps Seniors grantee.
AmeriCorps Seniors
Foster Grandparent Program
What is AmeriCorps? (2 min 17 sec):
What is Senior Corps (1 min 55 sec):
History of the Program
The Foster Grandparent Program was originally developed in 1965 as a cooperative effort between the Office of Economic Opportunity and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Congressional interest in establishing a program targeted to service by and for older persons began in 1968. In 1973, the Foster Grandparents program concept was incorporated into the Domestic Volunteer Service Act. In 1971, the Foster Grandparent Program became part of the National Volunteer Agency ACTION with the first 18 programs receiving funding in August 1974. In 1994, the funding and administration of the Program changed to the Corporation for National Community Service. Since that time, the program has expanded throughout the United States. In September 2021 the Corporation for National Community Service has rebranded to AmeriCorps. The Foster Grandparent Program is one of the AmeriCorps Senior’s programs.
Join AmeriCorps Seniors and bring out the best of America
Help guide students to higher academic achievement. Care for premature infants or children with disabilities. Mentor troubled teenagers and young mothers. The Foster Grandparent program connects role models like you with young people with exceptional needs.
Enrich your life while enriching the lives of others. AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers who serve with in the Foster Grandparent program provide the kind of comfort and love that sets a child on a path to a successful future. AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers themselves report better health and longevity having served their community.
Community Impact
Community Impact
Why is volunteering and community service important?
Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn protects you against stress and depression when you're going through challenging times.
What We Do
Foster Grandparents work one-on-one with children who need a little help. In many cases, these children lack the basic resources at home to help them with their school work and Foster Grandparents can help fill that void. Foster grandparents are role models, mentors and friends to these children. Volunteers who are income eligible may receive a small stipend to their poverty-level income, enabling them to participate without cost to themselves.
AmeriCorps Seniors: Improving the Quality of Life for All Generations
(1 min 52 sec):
AmeriCorps Seniors: Reasons to Serve (1 min):
Service by the Numbers: Measuring CNCS Program Impact
(1 min 59 sec):
AmeriCorps Serves Tribal Nations - Seniors
(1 min 10 sec):
Benefits of Volunteering
Benefits of Volunteering
Volunteering is good for your health, it promotes happiness over time and volunteers gain new skills and experiences.
Benefits for Volunteers :
- Transportation reimbursement to and from the service site
- Paid training, annual leave, sick leave, and holidays
- Accident and liability insurance while serving
- Personal satisfaction from helping a child succeed in school and life
- Tax free stipend to supplement your income
The Tax free stipend does not count as income when determining eligibility for benefits including:
- Food stamps/Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Energy Assistance
- Subsidized housing
- Rent
- VA pension
Get Involved! - Foster Grandparent Program (3 min 50 sec):
Research: Senior Corps Health Benefits 2019 (2 min 33 sec):
AmeriCorps Seniors: How Volunteering has Changed Me (15 sec):
Benefits to Volunteers :
The Foster Grandparents Program is a powerful force to improve educational outcomes. They also serve as a constant, reliable presence for children in need of positive adult role models. Connecting generations provides both students and Foster Grandparents with a chance to learn, share, and form a bond. This program changes the lives of the children involved. It also changes the lives of the Foster Grandparents and the teachers and staff who support them. This program is about learning, but it’s also about service, joy, and connection.
Some Benefits of Volunteering for Older Adults:
1. Benefits your mental health
2. Prevents loneliness and isolation
3. You get a feeling of purpose
4. You may meet new friends
5. Help you build connections
6. Volunteering increases physical activity
7. Being a Foster Grandparent volunteer will bridge the generation gap
8. You may rekindle old interests/hobbies
9. Volunteering helps you learn new skills
10. Nurture new and existing relationships
11. Brings fun into your life
12. Volunteering will keep you engaged with the world
AmeriCorps Seniors: How Volunteering has Changed Me (1 min):
Foster Grandparents for Every Syracuse 1st and 2nd Grade Classroom (1 min 46 sec):
Foster Grandparents Help Kids Learn English (1 min 27 sec):
Currently Bringing the Foster Grandparents Program
to Western North Dakota Serving 13 Counties:
Adams, Burleigh, Emmons, Foster, McHenry, McIntosh, McLean, Morton, Sioux, Stark, Stutsman, Ward, Williams
AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges, through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov