The area agency on aging palm beach/treasure coast, INC

Is a nonprofit organization which provides services to seniors, adults with disabilities and those who care for them in a five county area. The agency administers the foster grandparent program which is focused on supporting low-income populations (both senior and young) within geographic locations in which there is a pressing need and providing services within a best practices framework that are collaborative and integrated into the fabric of community efforts. The program, which is a member in good standing of the palm beach county mentor center network and subscribes to the elements of effective practice for mentoring, provides opportunities for low income seniors to improve educational outcomes for children with special needs through one-on-one mentoring and tutoring. This grant request covers the period from april 1, 2019 through march 31, 2022. The proposal seeks funding for 160 foster grandparent volunteers to serve approximately 600 disadvantaged children in four florida counties: martin, okeechobee, palm beach and ST. Lucie for 20-30 hours per week. All of the 160 volunteers will be placed in outcome-based assignments with the primary focus on education. Volunteers will provide services in approximately 50 pre-kindergarten child development centers, head starts and elementary schools to contribute to school readiness for the economically disadvantaged children and provide support that improves school success in academic performance and engagement outcomes for kindergarten through grade 3. The one-to-one mentoring and tutoring will have an emphasis on developing social skills, behavior modification and literacy. Based on previous outcomes, we anticipate that by the end of the school year, a minimum of 75% of children will demonstrate improvement in identified needs - academic engagement, literacy and/or math with improved behavioral and/or social skills. The cncs federal investment of $554,175 will be supplemented by a 29% match of non-federal resources.