Mini-grants to train unpaid family caregivers available

OLYMPIA—The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) is seeking qualified organizations to apply for mini-grants of up to $1,500 each that will be used to provide free training for family and other unpaid caregivers.

Under a program administered by the DSHS Aging and Disability Services Administration (ADSA), a total of $27,000 will be distributed to local communities to develop and conduct training, workshops or conferences.

Goals of these family caregiver-training sessions are:

• Teach practical skills caregivers can use daily
• Provide the latest information about support services and resources for caregivers
• Offer emotional support and recognition of the work done by family and unpaid caregivers
• Raise community awareness of caregiving

Approximately one-third of the funding from the Older Americans Act will be allocated to each of three targeted groups:

• Family or other informal caregivers caring for individuals who are 60 years or older
• Family or other informal caregivers over the age of 60 who care for children or adults over 60 with developmental disabilities
• Grandparents or relatives over the age of 60 who are raising children

Eligible applicants include Area Agencies on Aging, tribes, developmental disability (DD) county coordinators, DD advocacy groups, DD parent groups, local Real Choices Councils and kinship care support groups.

To apply for a mini-grant, a family caregiver-training plan must be submitted to DSHS by November 17. Funding will be available by January 1, 2004, and must be spent by June 2004.

Application information and requirements are posted on the ADSA Web site at http://www.adsa.dshs.wa.gov and are available from Hilari Hauptman at ADSA, by phone at 1-800-522-3263.

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services release, October 2

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