Action Center    Older Americans Act

Action
Thank your Senators and Representatives: the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) has been reauthorized and expanded as part of the Older Americans Act (OAA).  Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to be connected to your members of Congress.  The OAA was passed without objection in the early hours of Saturday September 30 2006, so thank them for their hard work, and remind them to think about multigenerational projects when funding levels come up for discussion next year (during what’s known as Appropriations).

Also, keep an eye out for announcements from GU about funding for new demonstration projects in the multigenerational arena!  For this and other good news, read on. 

Background
In 1965 the OAA was enacted to provide grants to States to develop and improve services and programs to help older people.  The services provided by the OAA have made a notable difference in the lives of millions of older adults and those who care about them.

The OAA contains several provisions that are intergenerational.  These lesser known areas provide for programs that encourage the young and old to share their talents and resources and support each other in relationships that benefit both individuals and the community.  One of these programs is the National Family Caregiver Support Program, which was added in 2000.  Following hard work by GU and its partners, the program is being extended.

The National Family Caregiver Support Program
The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) was the first major intergenerational initiative in the Older Americans Act and the first OAA program to provide services directly to individuals under 60 years old.

Through the NFCSP, local groups may offer supportive services to informal family caregivers providing care to a child they are raising under the age of 18.  Important changes made during the 2006 reauthorization have extended this support to many more families.  The age limit for support has been lowered from sixty to fifty-five for grandparents and other relatives raising children to qualify for supportive services through NFCSP. Before this change, just 29% of grandparents raising grandchildren could get help through the NFCSP: now the figure is 47%.  More than 400,000 family caregivers are newly eligible for extra help.

The help provided under the NFCSP includes:

• provision of information to caregivers about available services; 
• assistance to caregivers in gaining access to such services;
• individual counseling, support groups, and caregiver training;
• respite care; and
• supplemental long term care services to complement the care provided by caregivers and other informal caregivers.

Generations United has published A Guide to the National Family Caregiver Support Program and Its Inclusion of Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children which is available free on the website. Although it has not yet been updated to take into account the changed age-limit, it remains a valuable guide.

Demonstration projects for multigenerational activities
The 2006 reauthorization of the OAA provided for grants to fund opportunities for multigenerational civic engagement.  Examples include:

• support for grandparents and other older adults who are raising children;
• involving older volunteers in providing support to families who are in need, perhaps because a child is ill or disabled; and
• promoting multigenerational activities.