United Way donation fosters grandparent and student connections

Bridgeport”™s Child and Family Guidance Center has received $94,000 from United Way of Coastal Fairfield County to help support the center”™s foster grandparent program to mentor and tutor local children in need.

The grant will send 42 foster grandparent volunteers to public schools in Bridgeport and Norwalk, where they will provide academic and social development support for third graders.

“The impact that our volunteers make is incredible ”” with at least 80 percent of the children with a foster grandparent tutor showing academic improvement and/or improvement in social skills,” said program director Sara Witherington. “Our partnership with United Way of Coastal Fairfield County helps make this possible.”

The volunteers will be assisting  children in 25 schools, dedicated to ensuring students are reading at grade level by the end of third grade.

Each volunteer dedicates 20 hours every week of the academic school year in a so-called School of Hope, working one-on-one with students under an assignment plan created by a teacher.

The United Way has provided grants for the program since 2009.