THE SAGINAW COUNTY COMMISSION ON AGING, GRANTEE FOR THE SAGINAW COUNTY FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM, IS REQUESTING TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY FOUR THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED THIRTY FIVE DOLLARS ($254,335) IN FEDERAL FUNDS FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF A THREE YEAR GRANT. THE FEDERAL INVESTMENT WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY EIGHTY EIGHT THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED FIVE DOLLARS ($88,405) IN NON-FEDERAL RESOURCES. DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN BUDGET SECTIONS 1 AND 2. THE REQUESTED DOLLARS WILL PROVIDE FOR DIRECT BENEFITS TO INCOME ELIGIBLE SENIOR VOLUNTEERS AS WELL AS OPERATIONAL COSTS AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES. THIS FUNDING ALLOWS FOR AT LEAST FORTY TWO (42) FOSTER GRANDPARENT VOLUNTEERS TO DIRECTLY ASSIST APPROXIMATELY ONE HUNDRED FOURTY SEVEN (147) CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS ANNUALLY IN AREA SCHOOLS AND NON-PROFIT AGENCIES IN SAGINAW COUNTY, MICHIGAN DURING THE PERIOD OF JULY 1, 2019 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2022. ADDITIONALLY, AN ESTIMATED 1,500 PRESCHOOL AND SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WILL BENEFIT INDIRECTLY FROM THE PRESENCE OF FOSTER GRANDPARENT VOLUNTEERS IN THE CLASSROOM. THE FOCUS AREA OF THIS PROJECT IS EDUCATION, SPECIFICALLY SCHOOL READINESS AND K-12 SUCCESS. PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS WILL ACT AS MENTORS, PROVIDE NURTURING, TUTOR IN LITERACY, AND GIVE OTHER CLASSROOM ASSISTANCE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AS IDENTIFIED BY PARTICIPATING SITE REPRESENTATIVES. AT THE END OF THIS GRANT PERIOD, PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN SERVED BY THE FOSTER GRANDPARENT VOLUNTEERS WILL HAVE ATTAINED EARLY EDUCATIONAL SKILLS AND BE ABLE TO APPROPRIATELY INTERACT WITH OTHER CHILDREN IN A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. THOSE CHILDREN IN FIRST GRADE AND BEYOND WILL EXPERIENCE REDUCED ABSENTEEISM, IMPROVED SOCIALIZATION SKILLS, AND IMPROVED LITERACY.