Foster Grandparent Program

"Serve as a mentor or academic coach to children, experiencing the joy of giving back as they enrich your life in return."

Foster Grandparents 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.

WSCI provides services through this program in Big Horn, Fremont, Natrona, Park, and Washakie Counties.

The Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) began on August 28, 1965, as a pioneering initiative under the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) with the goal of demonstrating the positive impact that low-income adults aged 60 and older could have on children with exceptional or special needs. The program was initially structured as an employment opportunity for these seniors, allowing them to build meaningful relationships with children requiring additional support in both institutional and community settings.
Early Development and Growth (1965 - 1971)
1965: FGP launched under OEO’s administration, initially with 21 project sponsors across more than 45 institutions, engaging about 800 volunteers who primarily supported children up to five years old.
1968: The program expanded to 68 projects across 40 states and Puerto Rico, enrolling 4,100 Foster Grandparents who served over 10,000 children. By this point, OEO’s funding for FGP reached nearly $10 million.
1969: FGP’s oversight was transferred to the Administration on Aging (AOA) and restructured as a stipend-based volunteer program, allowing low-income seniors to volunteer with children up to 17 years of age.
Transfer to ACTION and Legislative Changes (1971 - 1989)
1971: FGP was moved to ACTION, a newly created federal volunteer agency. In the following years, FGP continued to expand, with funding reaching $25 million and over 10,000 volunteers nationwide.
1973: The Domestic Volunteer Service Act (DVSA) replaced the Older Americans Act, establishing FGP’s legislative framework within ACTION.
1976: Amendments to DVSA broadened the age definition for “children” to under 21 and allowed Foster Grandparents to continue mentoring developmentally disabled individuals beyond age 21 under specific conditions.
1989: By the end of February, the program included over 20,000 volunteers serving more than 70,000 children with special needs through 264 federally funded projects and 12 non-federal projects.
Integration into the Corporation for National and Community Service (1993 - Present)
1993: With the signing of the National and Community Service Trust Act, the Corporation for National Service (later AmeriCorps) was established. FGP became part of the National Senior Service Corps, alongside other senior volunteer programs.
1999: The program grew to include 325 local projects and approximately 28,000 Foster Grandparents serving nearly 90,000 children daily and 190,000 children annually..
The Wyoming Foster Grandparent Program
1980: Wyoming’s statewide Foster Grandparent Program was established, initially sponsored by the Eastern Wyoming Area Agency on Aging (EWAAA) in Glenrock.
1982 - 2014: Due to organizational changes, the program transferred sponsorship from EWAAA to the Wyoming Association for Developmental Services (WADS), then to NOWCAP, and finally to Wyoming Senior Citizens, Inc. (WSCI), a nonprofit focused on supporting Wyoming’s senior population.

Each year, we host an annual recognition event that brings all our volunteers together in one place to celebrate the year's successes and connect as a community!

We proudly serve six counties in Wyoming: Natrona, Fremont, Hot Springs, Washakie, Big Horn, and Park. Our mission is to connect volunteers with each other and their local communities, fostering meaningful connections as they serve.

If your town or city isn't on our list, please reach out! We would love to partner with schools, daycares, after-school programs, or community centers of your choice in your area.