§ 207. Foster grandparents program for vulnerable infants and children. 1. Definitions. For purposes of this section the following terms shall have the following meanings:(a) "Qualified area agencies on aging" shall mean those agencies which operate a foster grandparent program for the care of vulnerable infants and children and for the assistance of high risk mothers.
(b) "Foster grandparents program" shall mean those activities for which grants may be provided pursuant to subdivision six of section two hundred three of this title, and shall include, but not be limited to, (1) visiting participating hospitals or other interim care facilities for a specified number of hours and providing care, love and stimulation to one or more vulnerable infants and children; and (2) visiting high risk mothers in their homes for a specified number of hours in order to assist such mothers in developing parenting skills and in providing a safe and suitable home for their children.
(c) "Vulnerable infants and children" shall mean infants or children who reside in hospitals or other interim care facilities because no suitable foster home or other appropriate placement is available.
(d) "High risk mothers" shall mean single young women for whom the teaching of parenting skills is necessary either to prevent family breakdown or to enable them to assume responsibility for their own child or children who are in or awaiting foster care. 2. The director, in consultation with the commissioner of the office of children and family services, is hereby authorized and directed, within appropriations which are available therefor, to award grants to qualified area agencies on aging to operate foster grandparent programs for the care of vulnerable infants and children and for the assistance of high risk mothers. 3. The duties of the director shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) the selection of qualified area agencies on aging to receive grants for the operation of foster grandparent programs for the care of vulnerable infants and children and for the assistance of high risk mothers, which programs have been approved pursuant to this subdivision. Applications for such grants shall demonstrate to the extent possible: the need within the jurisdiction of the qualified area agency to provide services to infants and children left in hospitals beyond medical necessity and the need to provide services to infants and children placed in interim care facilities, the experience of such agency in providing such services to this or related populations, the capacity of such agency in providing such services to effectively operate and administer such program, the capacity of such agency to coordinate its services with hospitals which provide social work counseling and home visit assessments by social work staff to high risk mothers; and
(b) the reviewing of foster grandparent programs for the care of vulnerable infants and children and for the assistance of high risk mothers conducted by qualified area agencies on aging and the approval of such programs for funding pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision. 4. The director may promulgate such rules and regulations as he or she deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.
