(a) Foster Grandparent projects; amount

The Director is authorized to make grants to or contracts with public and nonprofit private agencies and organizations to pay part or all of the cost of development and operation of projects (including direct payments to individuals serving under this part) designed for the purpose of providing opportunities for low-income persons age 55 or over to provide supportive person-to-person services in health, education, welfare, and related settings to children having special or exceptional needs or circumstances identified as limiting their academic, social, or emotional development. Such services may include services by individuals serving as foster grandparents to children who are individuals with disabilities, who have chronic health conditions, who are receiving care in hospitals, who are residing in homes for dependent and neglected children, or who are receiving services provided by day care centers, schools, early intervention programs under part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.), Head Start agencies under the Head Start Act [42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.], or other programs, establishments, and institutions providing services for children having special or exceptional needs or circumstances identified as limiting their academic, social, or emotional development. Individual foster grandparents may provide person-to-person services to one or more children, depending on the needs of the project and local site. The Director may approve assistance in excess of 90 per centum of the costs of the development and operation of such projects only if the Director determines, in accordance with regulations the Director shall prescribe establishing objective criteria, that such action is required in furtherance of the purpose of this section. Provision for such assistance shall be effective as of September 19, 1972. In the case of any project with respect to which, prior to such date, a grant or contract has been made under section 3044b(a) ¹ of this title or with respect to any project under the Foster Grandparent program in effect prior to September 17, 1969, contributions in cash or in kind from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, toward the cost of the project may be counted as part of the cost thereof which is met from non-Federal sources.

(b) Person-to-person services to children in an individual service project by public or private nonprofit agency; authority and criteria for determinations; mutual agreements between parties

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(1) Any public or private nonprofit agency or organization responsible for providing person-to-person services to a child in a project carried out under subsection (a) of this section may determine—

(A) which children may receive supportive person-to-person services under such project;

(B) the period of time during which such services shall be continued in the case of each individual child; and

(C) whether it is in the best interest of the child receiving, and the particular foster grandparent providing, services in such a project, to continue the relationship between the child and the grandparent under this part after the child reaches the age of 21, if such child is an individual with a disability who was receiving such services prior to attaining the age of 21.

(2) If an assignment of a foster grandparent under this part is suspended or discontinued, the replacement of that foster grandparent shall be determined in a manner consistent with paragraph (3).

(3) Any determination made by a public or nonprofit private agency or organization under paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection shall be made through mutual agreement by all parties involved with respect to the provision of services to the child involved.

(c) “Child” and “children” defined

For the purposes of this section, the terms “child” and “children” mean any individual or individuals who are less than 21 years of age.

(d) Domestic Volunteer Service; allowances, stipends, and other support

The Director, in accordance with regulations the Director shall prescribe, may provide to low-income persons serving as volunteers under this part, such allowances, stipends, and other support as the Director determines are necessary to carry out the purpose of this part. Any stipend or allowance provided under this section shall not be less than $3.00 per hour, except that (1) such stipend or allowance shall not be increased as a result of an amendment made to this sentence unless the funds appropriated for carrying out this part are sufficient to maintain for the fiscal year in question a number of participants to serve under this part at least equal to the number of such participants serving during the preceding fiscal year, and (2) in the event that sufficient appropriations for any fiscal year are not available to increase any such stipend or allowance provided to the minimum hourly rate specified in this sentence, the Director shall increase the stipend or allowance to such amount as appropriations for such year permit consistent with clause (1) of this exception. In establishing the amount of, and the effective date for, such adjustment, the Director, in consultation with the State Commissions on National and Community Service (as established under section 12638 of this title) and the heads of the State offices established under section 12651f of this title, shall consider the effect such adjustment will have on the ability of non-federally funded volunteer programs similar to the programs under this subchapter to maintain their current level of volunteer hours.

(e) “Low-income person” and “person of low income” defined

For purposes of this part, the terms “low-income person” and “person of low income” mean—

(1) any person whose income is not more than 200 percent of the poverty line defined in section 9902(2) of this title and adjusted by the Director in the manner described in such section; and

(2) any person whose income is not more than 100 percent of such poverty line, as so adjusted and determined by the Director after taking into consideration existing poverty guidelines as appropriate to local situations.

Persons described in paragraph (2) shall be given special consideration for participation in projects under this part.

(f) Persons entitled to serve as volunteers; application of regulations to volunteers; equal treatment to all volunteers by recipients of grants; conditions of grants; use of funds; payment of costs

(1)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), individuals who are not low-income persons may serve as volunteers under this part, in accordance with such regulations as the Director shall issue, if such individuals serve without receiving any allowance, stipend, or other financial support under this part except reimbursement for transportation, meals, and out-of-pocket expenses incident to serving under this part.

(B) The regulations issued by the Director to carry out this part (other than any regulations relating to allowances, stipends, and other financial support authorized by subsection (d) to be paid under this part to low-income persons) shall apply to all volunteers under this part, without regard to whether such volunteers are eligible to receive a stipend under subsection (d).

(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), each recipient of a grant or contract to carry out a project under this part shall give equal treatment to all volunteers who participate in such project, without regard to whether such volunteers are eligible to receive a stipend under subsection (d).

(B) An individual who is not a low-income person may not become a volunteer under this part if allowing such individual to become a volunteer under this part would prevent a low-income individual from becoming a volunteer under this part or would displace a low-income person from being such a volunteer.

(3) The Director may not take into consideration or require as a condition of receiving a grant or contract to carry out a project under this part, any applicant for such grant or contract—

(A) to accept or recruit individuals who are not low-income persons to serve as volunteers under this part; or

(B) to solicit locally generated contributions, in cash or in kind, to support such individuals.

The Director may not coerce any applicant for, or recipient of, such grant or contract to engage in conduct described in subparagraph (A) or (B).

(4) Funds appropriated to carry out this part may not be used to pay any cost, including any administrative cost, incurred in connection with volunteers under this part who do not receive a stipend under subsection (d). Such cost incurred with respect to a volunteer may be paid with—

(A) funds received by the Director as unrestricted gifts;

(B) funds received by the Director as gifts to pay such cost;

(C) funds contributed by such volunteer; or

(D) locally generated contributions in excess of the amount required to be contributed under subsection (a), in the discretion of the recipient of a grant or contract under such subsection.