Foster ‘Grammies’ fill need in schools

CORINNA – The atmosphere at the Corinna Elementary School is “just like a big family,” according to Mildred “Millie” Mountain. She ought to know – she’s the “Grammie.”

Mountain is one of a growing number of senior citizens, mostly women, who volunteer their time with the Foster Grandparent Program conducted by Penquis Community Action Program. The program, administered from the Bangor office, covers 14 counties with 88 volunteers at 56 sites. The volunteers’ work can vary, but is often similar to the help Mountain provides at the Corinna school.

When school is in session, Mountain can be found nestled into the sofa in the teachers’ lounge listening to a lone child practice a reading assignment. She might run the copier for a teacher or shelve books in the school library. She also helps children with math and spelling.

Her primary function, however, seems to be applying a grandmotherly dose of “good job” and “I knew you could do it.”

The words bring confident grins and smiles of accomplishment to the faces of the dozens of children who get the special privilege of working with the school’s foster grandmother.

“I love working with kids,” the 62-year-old Mountain said, while taking a break from her busy schedule. “I’d be lost without them. I like to knit and crochet, but that gets boring. I can’t do that all the time.”

Twenty hours a week, Mountain can be found hustling through the halls of the Corinna school, working on assignments from busy teachers.

“We [foster grandparents] give the teachers more classroom time,” Mountain explained of her mission. “I try to bring these kids some good study habits. If they haven’t gotten it by fifth grade … .”

The program is a hit in SAD 48, according to the principals and teachers involved.

“It’s been wonderful,” said Fred Johnston, principal at the Corinna school. “She just fits right in, an extra pair of hands. Some of these kids desperately need the extra attention she can provide. Some of them don’t qualify for special-ed services. And for some it’s just having the extra attention of someone who will spend time with them.”

Foster grandparents are not used as substitute teachers, Johnston emphasized. But having a volunteer familiar with the school can be the added help a substitute needs for a successful day.

“The rules can be so strict, it discourages some people from coming in,” Mountain said of school practices. “That can scare older people and it hurts the program.”

“I just love them all,” Louise Bittner, a foster grandparent at the Newport Elementary School, said of the children she works with. “I would take them all home.”

That’s not part of the program, Gary Dorman, program manager, is quick to point out.

“This is not a 24-hour program,” Dorman said. “That’s a problem. People misunderstand the use of ‘foster’ grandparent. We try to make people understand this is for temporary grammies in the school.”

The program is considered a volunteer program, but qualified participants, 60 years of age or older with an income of $10,440 or less, can receive a stipend to assist with their expenses.

“I wish I could get my friends to come in,” Bittner, 83, said. “But they don’t want to get involved.”

The program is a lifeline for Bittner, keeping her active and needed.

“Whatever the kids need for help, I’m glad I’m there to do it,” she said.

“The children ask for her,” said Lisa Sawyer, a third-grade teacher at Newport Elementary. “She doesn’t work with just a few children. It’s whoever needs her.”

The program fills a need for both age groups, according to Sawyer. Both the children and the adults can benefit from the socialization and sharing a mutual respect and understanding that spans the generations.

“It keeps the children focused, and they feel special getting the attention,” she said. “With the older people, this keeps them young.”

Two other foster grandparents work in SAD 48 schools: Lucy Burke in St. Albans and Nathalie Rines in Palmyra. The Hartland Consolidated School does not have a volunteer in the program, Dorman said. Many schools can use the help, he said.

More information about the program in SAD 48 or in any of the 14 counties administered by Penquis CAP is available by calling Dorman at 973-3684.