Foster Grandparents Work with Children with Autism

For over twenty years, many older adults in New Hampshire have found a way to give back to their communities through the Friends Foster Grandparent Program. This intergenerational program's mission is to connect seniors with children who are needy or at-risk to derive benefits for both groups. To accomplish this, the Foster Grandparent Program offers a small, tax-free stipend to volunteers ages 60 and older in exchange for volunteer services in public and non-profit settings like schools, Head Starts, after-school programs, and childcare centers.

During this past school year, the IOD's Beth Dixon visited several Foster Grandparent groups to speak about children on the autism spectrum and some strategies for working with them. "The volunteers showed a huge interest in finding out the basics about autism," said Beth. "They were really concerned about the kids and wanted to know just what they were dealing with."

"Our volunteers had a lot of questions," said Program Director Alane Hill. "Beth was really great and very informative."

Typically, Foster Grandparents spend anywhere from 15 to 40 hours per week in service. They nurture and facilitate cognitive development in infants, provide preschoolers with the building blocks for school readiness, tutor children lagging behind in reading and math, provide emotional support and guidance to abused, neglected, and troubled youth, and assist children with disabilities, including children with Asperger's Syndrome and autism. In addition to the significant impact this commitment makes on children, the impact on senior volunteers is just as great. They have the opportunity to establish meaningful relationships with children and school personnel while renewing connections within their communities.

For more information on the Friends Foster Grandparent Program, visit www.friendsprogram.org.