Family Freinds: A National Evaluation of Six Administration on Aging Sites

摘要

Family Friends is an innovative program that matches older volunteers withfamilies of children developmental disabilities or special health care needs. The Administration on Aging (AoA) funded six Family Friends programs through a federal aging initiative in five states. It offers emotional support and encouragement, another pair of hands, and a shoulder to lean on (National Council on Aging, 1991). There is a certain magic created by this union that according to volunteers, is very difficult to put into words or statistics. This concept was essentially an extension of the Foster Grandparent Program model which NCOA developed almost three decades ago. The Foster Grandparent Program utilized institutions, while Family Friends Project focused on children living in private homes with their families. An evaluation of any program can have several objectives. Outcome evaluations have 'shaped' the course in a number of fields-particularly that of developmental disabilities. Is it cost-benefit and/or effective. In the Family Friends program, there are three target audiences for the intervention: (1) the child with a disability, (2) the families who have a child(ren) with disabilities; (3) volunteers who serve as friends/vistors. The findings are included.