App State’s Foster Grandparent Program seeks volunteers to support Lucy Brock Child Development Lab partnership

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University’s Foster Grandparent Program is partnering with the Lucy Brock Child Development Lab to provide intergenerational mentorship and support to local children. The program is seeking local volunteers to assist with the initiative.

A subprogram of Appalachian Senior Programs (ASP), the Foster Grandparent Program recruits volunteers to assist children in need of academic attention by providing one-on-one classroom assistance. They work on specific academic goals outlined in Individual Education Plans identified by teachers, often in the areas of reading ability and comprehension, for around 20 hours per week.

The program — celebrating its 45th anniversary this year — was established in 1980 under the sponsorship of New River Mental Health. It came under the sponsorship of App State’s Department of Sociology in 2003, given its focus on gerontology (the study of aging and older adults) and its success with community-based programs. Tammy Taylor serves as director of the Foster Grandparent Program, and Sherry Lambert serves as the program’s assistant.

As a new school year begins, the Foster Grandparent Program aims to recruit new volunteers to work with children enrolled in App State’s Lucy Brock Child Development Lab. Housed in the Reich College of Education, Lucy Brock is a full-day North Carolina licensed program that serves children from birth through 5 years of age. Like the Foster Grandparent Program, Lucy Brock is celebrating a big anniversary — its 85th — in 2025.

“This partnership is a great example of how the university can share resources and help our community,” explained ASP Executive Director Dr. Amy Dellinger Page, professor in the Department of Sociology. “Intergenerational relationships are incredibly important for everyone involved. Children benefit from the one-on-one structured attention and support, and our senior volunteers receive a small stipend and make positive, meaningful contributions to their community through their service.”

Foster Grandparent Program volunteers must be aged 55 or older, have reliable transportation and complete an application, providing three nonfamily references. Participants must also complete a criminal history and sex offender registry check, paid for by the program. Qualifying volunteers may receive a small stipend, as well as meal and travel reimbursement.

For more information and to complete the volunteer interest form, visit seniorprograms.appstate.edu/programs/foster-grandparents.