The Foster Grandparent
Program at Central Wisconsin Colony and Training School was one of the nation-wide
National Senior Service Corps pilot programs developed in 1965. The program was designed
to provide surrogate grandparents to institutionalized, mentally retarded children and to
provide volunteer opportunities to low-income senior citizens by paying a small tax-free
stipend. The first group of fourteen Foster Grandparent trainees began in-service training
classes at "The Colony" in January 1966. As soon as they were sufficiently
trained to spend time with their retarded grandchildren the program was proclaimed an
"immediate success" by staff and grandparents alike.
Many things have changed over the past 35 years. "The Colony" became Central
Wisconsin Center for the Developmentally Disabled, retarded became cognitively challenged,
the FGP tax-free stipend increased from .60 to $2.55 per hour; however, more has remained
the same. There are still people living at Central Center needing a Foster Grandparent,
low-income seniors willing to volunteer their time and needing the small stipend, and the
program has remained an "immediate success" even as it approaches middle-age.
During the past 35 years over 2 million hours of loving, 1:1 attention has been
volunteered by about 250 Foster Grandparents to the residents of Central Center.
There are currently 34 Foster Grandparents on the roster at Central Center. The age
range of the FG’s is 62 to 89 years. In the past year they have volunteered more than
25,000 hours of time to over 80 residents of Central Wisconsin Center for the
Developmentally Disabled. Foster Grandparents now are helping to prepare their
grandchildren for life outside the Center, whether it is a school, work assignment, or the
opportunity to live in a community based home. Times change, but love and caring shared by
Foster Grandparents and their grandchildren remains the same.
Laura Stokstad, Foster Grandparent Program Supervisor, phone 243-2244
