The South East Texas Foster Grandparent Program provides meaningful volunteer opportunities for income-eligible persons, age 55 or over, to establish supportive one-on-one tutoring and mentoring relationships with children in their classrooms, youth in local juvenile detention centers, hospitals, child-care facilities, and Head-Start programs.
The engaging of these relationships has assisted in answering many goals. Reaching children in our communities, identifying their academic, emotional, and social difficulties, breaking the cycle of drug abuse, crime, and other problems experienced by a growing sector of today’s youth, our foster grandparents are the vital part of society that aids in the development of these at-risk children. The grandparents share their wisdom, convictions, and experience.
- Nationally, there are over 35,000 volunteers supporting students in public, private, and charter schools
- Locally, we have provided over 34 years of service to our community
- Limited-income older adults are serving as mentors and tutors
- Our volunteers are serving at area early childhood, Pre-K, elementary, and middle schools, juvenile detention centers, a daycare center, and a mental health facility
- We serve Hardin, Jefferson, and Orange counties
- Foster grandparent volunteers receive a non-taxable stipend of $4.00 per hour
- We have provided Southeast Texas with more than 900,000 hours of service since 1989