Project Grant 20SFAPA003

WESLEY FAMILY SERVICES FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM (FGP) [SOUTHWESTERN PA INTERGENERATIONAL PARTNERSHIP] EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WESLEY FAMILY SERVICES (WFS) HAS A WELL-ESTABLISHED ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY AND A LEGACY TO DELIVER HIGH PERFORMING QUALITY PROGRAMMING TO DIVERSE POPULATIONS ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN PA TO ENSURE THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROPOSED FGP PROJECT. AS THE SPONSOR AGENCY, WE PROPOSES TO IMPLEMENT THE FGP PROJECT TO MEET THE EDUCATIONAL, TUTORING, MENTORING AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF K-12 SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT CENTERS, ESPECIALLY OF THOSE IDENTIFIED AT RISK AND/OR WITH EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS, ACROSS THE FGP SPECIFIED GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. THE FGP VOLUNTEERS CAN PROVIDE AN OPTIMAL RESPONSE TO THE MANY CONCERNING TRENDS AND NEEDS WITHIN THE IDENTIFIED COMMUNITIES. IN ADDITION, OLDER ADULTS' INVOLVEMENT, WHILE HELPING STRENGTHENING THE PROTECTIVE FACTORS OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN THESE COMMUNITIES, IT ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO SUPPORT THEIR OWN SOCIAL, COGNITIVE, AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. THE FGP VOLUNTEERS WILL BE COMPRISE OF ELIGIBLE ADULTS 55 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER AND SERVE BETWEEN 15 AND 20 HOURS PER WEEK TO FULFILL MEASURABLE ASSIGNMENT PLANS IN IDENTIFIED CORE-PARTNERS FACILITIES (I.E., STATIONS) WITHIN THE TARGETED FGP AREA. WFS PROPOSES TO RECRUIT TO FULFILL 129VSY AND TO DEVELOP AND SUSTAIN AN ADEQUATE CORE-PARTNERSHIP NETWORK OF VOLUNTEER STATIONS ACROSS THE FGP GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. IN TOTAL, WFS IS REQUESTING $825,168 IN FEDERAL FUNDS AND CONTRIBUTING $92,592 OF NON-FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR THIS PURPOSE, FOR EACH BUDGETED YEAR OR 12 MONTH PERIOD. THESE FGP OUTPUTS WILL BE INVESTED AND AIM AT AUGMENTING OUR CORE-PARTNERS' CAPACITY TO IMPROVE THE SCHOOL READINESS AND K-12 SUCCESS, BY FOCUSING FGP VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES (E.G., TUTORING, REINFORCING SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS, ASSISTING WITH HOMEWORK, DEVELOPING POSITIVE AND SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS, ETC.) ON IMPROVING THE EDUCATIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN AND YOUTH AND THEREBY EXPAND THEIR CHANCES AND PROSPECTS OF SUCCESS IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION SETTINGS. OUTCOMES WILL BE REPORTED AND MEASURED ON ALL CHILDREN WHO RECEIVE A MINIMUM OF 30 HOURS OF 1:1 ACTIVITIES WITH AN ASSIGNED GFP VOLUNTEER.