Foster Grandparents

Foster Grandparents are role models, mentors and friends to children with exceptional needs. The program provides a way for volunteers age 55 and over to stay active by serving youth in their communities. Foster Grandparents volunteers serve from 5 to 40 hours a week and receive hourly stipends. Volunteers must be age 55 or older and meet established income eligibility guidelines. In addition to the stipend, volunteers receive accident, personal liability and excess automobile liability insurance, assistance with the cost of transportation, recognition, and, as feasible, meals during their assignments (Minnesota Statutes 2025, section 256.976).

In Minnesota, as of 2025, 379 volunteers served 195,540 hours to 3,021 children from the following three programs.

Catholic Charities of St. Cloud
- Website: Catholic Charities of St. Cloud - Foster Grandparent Program
- Counties served: Benton, Douglas, Grant, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Pope, Sherburne, Stearns, Stevens, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, Wilkin.
- Total award for fiscal year 2027 - $178,121
- Contract #253054
- Current Number of Stations managing and scheduling volunteers: 104
- Current Number of unduplicated volunteers 25
Goals/objectives
- Volunteers support Early Learning and Head Start classrooms by helping teachers create a safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate environment for young children.
- Service activities include assisting with classroom routines, supporting learning centers, engaging children in play based learning, and helping maintain smooth transitions throughout the day.
- A key focus of volunteer service is fostering social emotional development. Volunteers model cooperative play, sharing, and problem solving and provide gentle guidance to help children practice emotional regulation and positive peer interaction.
Lutheran Social Services (60 counties)
- Project website: Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota - Foster Grandparent Volunteer
- Counties served (60): Aitkin, Anoka, Beltrami, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clearwater, Cook, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Koochiching, Lac qui Parle, Lake, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Olmsted, Pine, Pipestone, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Scott, Sibley, St. Louis, Steele, Swift, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Winona, Wright, and Yellow Medicine
- Total award for fiscal year 2027: $498,486
- Contract #: 253061
- Current Number of Stations managing and scheduling volunteers: 77
- Current Number of unduplicated volunteers: 162
Goals/objectives
- Volunteers will provide one-on-one support to children with special and exceptional needs in early learning settings. At the direction of and with the supervision of the classroom teacher, volunteers will support children throughout their learning, providing encouragement and support, engaging them in the various classroom activities to ensure their success.
- Volunteers will serve 2-5 days per week, working with identified children, directly in the classroom, for roughly 15-minute increments.
Tri-Valley Opportunity Council (11 Counties)
- Project website: Tri-Valley Opportunity Council - Foster Grandparent Program
- Counties Served: Becker, Clay, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake and Roseau
- Total award for fiscal year 2027: $114,781
- Contract #: 252937
- Current Number of Stations managing and scheduling volunteers: 28
- Current Number of unduplicated volunteers: 50
Goals/objectives
- Through positive intergenerational relationships, volunteers help to create school readiness by working in one on one and small group settings to help cognitive development and improve behavior skills, self-esteem, confidence and word recognition. Volunteers will work with students with special and exceptional needs, in the classroom or other quiet locations under the direction of the site, for a minimum of five hours per week, to assist in cultivating a safe and healthy environment for children.
- Through mentorship and tutoring, volunteers will build positive relationships and help create academic success by working one-on-one and in small group settings to reinforce and improve math and reading literacy.