an ACTION grant, National Youth Work Alliance is developing, testing, and implementing a method of training personnel of shelters for runaway and homeless youth to expand their use of volutneers in all areas of management and service delivery. The training package includes assistance in developing private and local sources of financial support. Expanding the capacity of programs which continue in categorical grant status, but at reduced funding levels. Under an interagency agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services, ACTION is placing retired senior volunteers and foster grandparents in Head Start programs, so as to allow those programs to maintain or expand the numbers of children served and to improve the quality of service. As these examples demonstrate, ACTION is offering a wide array of technical assistance and some seed money targeted to assist in the transfer of some responsibility for social service delivery from the Federal to the State and local levels and from the public to the private sector. QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR PROXMIRE VISTA Question. What have been the major successes and failures of the VISTA program and what lessons were learned which can be applied to other ACTION programs? Answer. The American taxpayer has expended some $500 million on the VISTA program in just over 16 years. Unfortunately, even with this generous outlay of resources, the successes have been very limited. Indeed, in many situations, the program has actually been counterproductive. We have attached a very small sample of evidence which leads one to conclude that a great deal of improper activity-not merely waste and abuse-was undertaken by the prior ACTION/VISTA regime. Last, it should also be noted that the average cost of employing a VISTA volunteer is over $7,000. In addition, some 35 percent of all 12-month volunteers do not complete their full term of service. One of the most important lessons that we can all learn from the VISTA experience is that steps must be taken by those in positions of authority to make certain that Federal tax dollars are never used to develop, maintain, and/or strengthen the political agendas of a few. [CLERK'S NOTE-A copy of this material is located in the subcommittee's files.] Question. How effective has the effort been to facilitate expanded economic and social opportunities for youth and young adults? Answer. As part of the ACTION agency's overall emphasis on dealing with the problems of troubled and disadvantaged youth and adolescents, VISTA's programing for the coming year focuses on such areas as child abuse, runaways, delinquency prevention, drug and alcohol abuse, and literacy and vocational training. Nearly two-thirds of all VISTA projects approved between July 1, 1981 and January 31, 1982, deal with the problems of youth and young adults. This represents the assignment of almost 600 VISTA volunteers, with most beginning service in the second quarter of fiscal year 1982. VISTA anticipates a substantial number of additional projects dealing with these problems will be approved during this fiscal year. Question. As VISTA funds are reduced, what efforts are being made to transfer expertise regarding volunteerism to agencies and community groups working to carry on the volunteer effort? Answer. One of the major premises of the VISTA program is that VISTA volunteers should be regarded only as a temporary resource to any community, transferring skills to local residents who, in turn, would carry on the activities after the VISTA's are withdrawn. This principle is reaffirmed in the VISTA Guidelines, 46 Fed. Reg. 62122, December 22, 1981, which state: "Both new and renewal VISTA projects should display evidence of local public and/or private sector support or active participation which will enhance their chance of success, as well as plans for institutionalizing the VISTA activities after the volunteers leave." Thus, under its present leadership, VISTA is funding only those projects which have a reasonable chance of transferring sufficient skills in volunteerism and resource mobilization so that local groups can carry on efforts begun by VISTA volunteers. FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM Question. Please describe briefly how the foster grandparent program functions. Answer. The foster grandparent program is unique in that it uses the grandparent concept, a social role available to the elder person. The program is a Federal effort combined with State/local public agencies and private nonprofit organizations. Founded in 1965, the foster grandparent program is designed to assist low-income elderly Americans with financial and logistical support to have them be engaged in community life. Under professional supervision, foster grandparents' placement/assignments are developed at the local level, by matching foster grandparent's interest, skills, and life experiences with the children's developmental needs. Foster grandparents usually serve 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, for a total of 20 hours weekly and receive a stipend of $2 per hour. Projects assist with transportation and lunch expenses, and provide an annual physical examination and liability insurance. An amount equal to 90 percent of Federal funding must be distributed to volunteers as direct benefits. ACTION grants to eligible agencies and private nonprofit organizations are on an annual basis, with the project sponsor matching at least 10 percent of the project budget with non-Federal funds. A project director hired by the project sponsor manages the project's operation. An advisory council of community volunteers advises the sponsoring agency/organization, with an annual written appraisal on the project's operation. Question. How many older Americans participated in this program last year? How many are expected to participate during the next year? Answer. In fiscal year 1982, there are 18,100 foster grandparents budgeted for 233 projects, the same level is estimated for fiscal year 1983. Question. How many children were served by the program last year and how many are expected to be served during the next year? Answer. On a daily basis, foster grandparents assist an average of 3 children each, or approximately 54,000 children on a given day. Many of the children may be helped year-round or during most of the year; others may be helped for weeks or up to 3 months. The kinds of development, treatment, care, or education plans for the individual child usually dictate the length of service with a foster grandparent under professional supervision. An estimated 150,000 children will be assisted to varying extents at the currently funded volunteer level during fiscal year 1982. Question. Have any studies or evaluations been conducted to determine the success of this program? Answer. A longitudinal and cross-sectional evaluation of the program on foster grandparents is underway. The initial results from baseline data show that: Foster grandparents have higher mental health functioning levels than waiting list people; although the foster grandparents were generally older than waiting list people, there was no difference in physical impairments; and there are some initial indications that foster grandparents develop a better outlook on life upon entering volunteer service than they had before joining the program. Further analysis will enable more conclusive finding on the impact of the program on foster grandparents. Current findings indicate that the program is successful in having a positive impact on these individuals. ACTION is curently designing two program evaluations to assess the impact of demonstration efforts on juvenile offenders. RETIRED SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Question. What areas of service will be emphasized for the retired senior volunteer program during the next year? Answer. Emphasis will be placed on the following program areas during the coming year: Services to youth.-Older volunteers have demonstrated a knowledge and ability for making significant contributions in issues related to troubled youth. During the next year, the retired senior volunteer program will emphasize services in the areas of: Runaways; drug abuse; and literacy. Long-term care. Given the growing number of functionally disabled older people in the population and the rapidly increasing costs of health services, long-term care is a major opportunity for service by volunteers in the retired senior volunteer program. In communities where both senior companion and retired senior volunteers' programs exist, in cooperation with the senior companion program, retired senior volunteer program volunteers will continue to provide long-term care services for homebound elderly. In fiscal year 1981, seven demonstration projects (five senior companion programs and two retired senior volunteer programs) were funded for a period of 2 years. This demonstration effort was designed to further our information on the impact of volunteers in the provision of services to persons in need of long-term care in their homes. Research and ongoing evaluation are part of this 2-year effort. Inflation fighting-Retired senior volunteer program volunteers have, to date, been very successful in providing information and counseling to persons on fixed incomes and information related to energy conservation. Such efforts will be continued and expanded Employment assistance for older people is a part of this effort. Crime prevention.-Crime prevention activities normally sponsored by police or sheriff departments, or by divisions of the courts, provide excellent opportunities for retired senior volunteer program volunteers to contribute needed services to their community in such areas as: Vicitm/witness assistance services; organizing neighborhood crime watches; home security checks/property identification; and offender rehabilitation. Question. To what extent are States assisting in support of program activities? Answer. State funding support of the program in the first quarter of fiscal year 1982 was $2,194,606. This support included Governors' or State agency discretionary funds allocated on an ad hoc basis to existing ACTION-funded projects, and State funding of retired senior volunteer program-styled projects neither funded by ACTION nor State sponsored. There are also 19 retired senior volunteer program projects currently operating in Wisconsin, Florida, Nebraska, and California that are totally supported with State funds. These projects receive technical assistance from ACTION. Question. Do you see support by the States increasing over the next few years? Answer. In fiscal year 1980, when data on State assistance were first collected, State funding support of the program totaled $1,315,618. This was increased in fiscal year 1981 to $2,356,420. The fiscal year 1982 first quarter total of $2,194,606 and the trend of the last two fiscal years, lead us to believe that State support will increase slightly in the next few years, or at least be maintained at approximately the level achieved in fiscal year 1981. Question. How many volunteers are participating in the program at the present time? Will this number increase during the next year? Answer. A reported 319,000 older Americans participated in the retired senior volunteer program during the fiscal year 1981. During the fiscal year 1982, an estimated 332,000 volunteers will be participating and by the end of fiscal year 1983, an estimated 345,000 retired people will be serving in this program. Question. Have any studies been undertaken to determine the success of the program to date? Answer. A national retired senior volunteer program impact survey is currently being reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget. It is designed to assess the impact of the program on the senior volunteers and the recipient local organizations or individuals. Additional comprehensive case studies are being prepared on selected successful local projects. These case studies will become available over the next year. The 1980 Retired Senior Volunteer Program Project Survey Final Report (released May 1981) demonstrated that the volunteers were involved in a wide range of activities serving various community and individual needs. The structure of the local projects and the program strategies they employed reflected retired senior volunteer program's organizational diversity and flexibility. Local organizations determine what services to provide and how to provide them. Question. What is the budget breakdown for this program, particularly in terms of administrative level expense? Answer. Following is a budget breakdown for retired senior volunteer program for fiscal year 1983: Estimated funding level Personnel compensation: Other than full-time permanent.. $27,445,000 95,000 Question What percentage of the agency's fiscal 1983 budget request is targeted to provide volunteer opportunities for older persons? Answer. The amount requested in fiscal year 1983 for activity 3, older American volunteer programs, is $87,861,000, which is nearly 75 percent of the agency's total appropriation request. The percentages by program are: retired senior volunteer program, 23 percent; foster grandparent program, 41 percent; senior companion program, 10 percent. U.S. SOLDIERS' AND AIRMEN'S HOME STATEMENT OF GEORGE H. MCKEE, GOVERNOR ACCOMPANIED BY: ROBERT W. HAMPTON, SECRETARY-TREASURER SUBCOMMITTEE PROCEDURE Senator BURDICK. For the Soldiers' and Airmen's Home, located just a few miles north of the Capitol, is Lt. Gen. George McKee, Governor of the home. Please introduce your associates and give us a brief overview of the home's operation. General MCKEE. Good morning, Mr. Chairman. INTRODUCTION OF ASSOCIATES With me this morning I have Col. Robert Hampton, on my right, secretary-treasurer for the home; Mr. Arthur Curry, the home budget officer, on my left. The home is located about 3 miles north of the Capitol. It has been there for about 131 years. Presently the membership of the home is over some 2,000. This year's budget request is $26,718,000 for the 1983 budget. That is the 1983 budget request, Mr. Chairman. In the 1982 budget we had requested $23,825,000. However, we were directed to take a 4-percent reduction of that amount in our 1982 budget. That means that our home operation will be taking a cut of approximately $953,000 in our 1982 budget, which is not a great amount of money from some of the figures I have heard here this morning. But to our operation, it has a terrific impact on the programs at the home. For the past 10 years the home has been in quite an austere mode of operation, because at one time, at least it appeared that our expenditures would be exceeding our income by 1989. That was the picture until we received the return of the article 15 dollars starting this fiscal year. As a result of that forecast, when it became evident some 10 years ago, the home then started reducing back in their expenditures, the maintenance programs, the manning in areas where we sorely need. manning today, particularly in our hospital, or the health care facility. As I explained to the committee last year, in the previous 5 years we had voluntarily reduced our staff at the home by some 21 percent. |