“These kids give me a reason to get up every morning. They remind me I’m still needed.”
— Foster Grandparent Program Participant
In classrooms across Colorado, quiet moments of connection are sparking lasting change. In one elementary school, a once-struggling reader sits side by side with his Foster Grandparent, carefully sounding out each word. By the end of the year, his reading score jumps from 26% to 76%. But the numbers only tell part of the story. What’s harder to measure is the confidence in his voice and the pride in his smile.
That’s the magic of VOA Colorado’s Foster Grandparents Program—a place where older adults find renewed purpose and children discover what it feels like to have someone truly in their corner.
For the seniors, many of whom live on fixed incomes and are searching for ways to stay active and engaged, the program offers more than volunteer hours. It offers meaning. As Sean Fujimoto, program manager, explains, “They find an energy and productivity they may have been missing. The kids’ laughter and curiosity bring them back to life.”
From teaching multiplication tables and reading bedtime stories, to tending school gardens and helping with art projects, these “grandparents” do more than help kids learn. They help them feel seen and valued—something especially powerful for children considered at-risk, who might not always have steady support at home.
And it works both ways. As one grandparent jokes, “I help them with math, and they help me with my cell phone.”
The Foster Grandparents Program serves children from early childhood through sixth grade in preschools, Head Start programs, elementary schools, and youth organizations across Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Jefferson, El Paso, and Larimer counties. Each volunteer commits between 15 and 40 hours a week, offering their time, their wisdom, and most of all, their hearts.
Together, they’re building brighter futures—one story, one smile, and one shared moment at a time.