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The Foster
Grandparent Program began its legacy in June 1972. The Retired America
Foundation received a grant from ACTION to place 80 foster grandparent
volunteers at Sunland Center in Orlando. The foster grandparent volunteers
served children with profound mental retardation and/or severe physical
handicapping conditions. The support from Sunland Center was critical to
the success of the program. Sunland provided office space, supplies, meals
and physicals for the foster grandparent volunteers. The majority of the
volunteers were recruited from senior housing and public housing complexes.
This was consistent with Foster Grandparent Programs across the nation.
In 1974, the Retired
America Foundation decided to relinquish the grant and approached the
community for another organization to take on the sponsorship of the Foster
Grandparent Program. Through this search, Florida Senior Programs, Inc. was
founded. Through the leadership of Corbin Sarchet., a small group of
concerned individuals incorporated and Florida Senior Programs, Inc. was
created. In 1975, the newly founded Florida Senior Programs, Inc. became
the sponsor of the Foster Grandparent Program of Central Florida and the
Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Orange County. During this time of
change, the Foster Grandparent Program flourished. The Program received a
Department of Community Affairs grant from the State of Florida and the
number of foster grandparent volunteers increased to 123.
Under the sponsorship
of Florida Senior Programs, the program maintained its presence within the
Sunland Center and continued to serve the special needs of children housed
at the Center throughout the 70s. In 1980, a national move from residential
to community based care for children in Developmental Centers touched the
Sunland Center. Fortunately, through the progressive leadership of the
Board and Director, community based assignments were secured for foster
grandparents in 1981. The first community-based assignments were in day
care centers and the program began to move in Seminole County. As
community-based assignments were developed, the role of the foster
grandparent changed from a nurturing companion to mentoring, tutoring, and
skill building.
Through out the 80s,
primary emphasis was on developing community-based foster grandparent
assignments. Following closure of the Sunland Center, the children were
transitioned into the community. This closure had a direct impact on the
Program; the Program had to re-locate its office. Through negotiations with
the State of Florida, office space was secured on State property. In 1993,
ACTION was replaced with the Corporation for National and Community
Service. Expansion of the program soared as the program began to work with
the community to engage foster grandparents to meet the ever-increasing
needs of children in the Central Florida Community.
OTTER
(Older Teachers Training Early Readers) was launched in 2004. This new
initiative was originally funded through the Winter Park Health Foundation
and focuses on improving preschoolers reading readiness skills, providing
older volunteers meaningful life enriching volunteer opportunities, and
promoting intergenerational relationships.
As we reflect back over our past, it is obvious that the Foster Grandparent
Program of Central Florida has been successful. The success is directly
related to the commitment of our foster grandparents and the recognition by
our community of the critical role that senior volunteers can play in the
life of children and families. Today, 36 years later, our mission remains
the same-to recruit and train limited income people 60+ years old to provide
twenty hours per week of individual attention to children with special or
exceptional needs. The difference is that we charge forth - 300 foster
grandparents strong - to meet the varying and challenging needs of more than
3,900 of our children in 75 different community-based child-caring
agencies/organizations. |
