Generations of Hope
About This Program
Target Population: Vulnerable populations such as foster/adopted children, aging out foster youth, women ages 21-25 years that were foster children and have children, families of wounded warriors, and older youth challenged by autism or behavioral and developmental disabilities
For children/adolescents ages: 0 – 21
For parents/caregivers of children ages: 0 – 21
Program Overview
Generations of Hope develops and helps operate intergenerational communities of up to 150 people. Of these about 70% are seniors and the remainder families and vulnerable populations. Affordable housing is provided to seniors and in return they volunteer to support the foster families and children (or other populations). Support is given by mentoring, tutoring, socialization, and joint activities. The program is staffed by a small staff that works with all groups to increase and improve interaction. The impact of this programming is designed to augment any needed social, child welfare, and behavioral services.
Program Goals
The goals of Generations of Hope are:
- Provide a community that enables vulnerable populations to have a long-term relationship with seniors (55 years plus)
- Enables vulnerable populations to live in a normal environment
- Enable vulnerable populations to achieve normal developmental milestones and develop into positive young adults
Logic Model
The program representative did not provide information about a Logic Model for Generations of Hope.
Essential Components
The essential components of Generations of Hope include:
- Construction or rehabilitation of affordable housing designed to intermix generations in purpose built housing; communities of up to 150 people
- A centrally located community center that includes quiet and learning spaces as community gathering places for parties, food, and socialization
- Staff that is trained to provide enough but not too much intervention to create a community social environment where the families and children help keep the seniors from isolation and the seniors help families maintain a noncrisis mode and provide opportunities for children to prosper
- Staff that works with local professional and health provider agencies to assure that professional intervention is available when needed
- Staff that works with all appropriate external professional services to develop any needed “care plan,†individualized education plan (IEP), or other targeted service
- Staff that oversees the needs of seniors to assure adequate health care is delivered and the senior is a participant in staying healthy
- Addressing family adult needs as the goal is to create and maintain a stable family:
- Seniors and adults working together to tutor, mentor, and provide activities
- Intermittent childcare and emergency childcare
- Experiential lessons to help stabilize a family and mitigate crises in the family
- Ride sharing and other transportation arrangements
- Early warning attention to staff for problem solving
Program Delivery
Child/Adolescent Services
Generations of Hope directly provides services to children/adolescents and addresses the following:
- Living with a foster family or adopted from the foster care system, about to age out of the foster youth, challenged by autism or behavioral and developmental disabilities
Parent/Caregiver Services
Generations of Hope directly provides services to parents/caregivers and addresses the following:
- Foster parents or adopted a child out of foster care or are adults ages 21-25 years that were foster children and have children of their own
Services Involve Family/Support Structures:
This program involves the family or other support systems in the individual's treatment: The Generations of Hope concept is that of a community. The individuals in the community are constantly involved with each other. Seniors may volunteer 10,000 to 15,000 hours a year to provide family and child support services.
Recommended Intensity:
Continuous
Recommended Duration:
The idea of a community helping its members is a 24-hour, 365-day responsibility as needed
Delivery Setting
This program is typically conducted in a(n):
- Group or Residential Care
Homework
This program does not include a homework component.
Resources Needed to Run Program
The typical resources for implementing the program are:
Housing for up to 150 people, community building that serves as a dining hall and multipurpose room
Manuals and Training
Prerequisite/Minimum Provider Qualifications
Staff should have at least a Bachelor's lever degree with experience working with these populations
Manual Information
There is not a manual that describes how to deliver this program.
Training Information
There is training available for this program.
Training Contact:
- Tom Berkshire
phone: (217) 381-9403
Training Type/Location:
Generations of Hope provides a consulting service for training
Number of days/hours:
Relative to clients' needs which vary from Operation, construction, fund raising, board development, screening in residents etc.
Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research
Eheart, B. K. & Power, M. B. (2001). From despair to care: A journey of the old and the young at Hope Meadows. Children and Youth Services Review, 23(9/10), 691-718. doi:10.1016/S0190-7409(01)00156-6
Type of Study:
Case study
Number of Participants:
8
Population:
- Age — Not specified
- Race/Ethnicity — Not specified
- Gender — Not specified
- Status — Participants were foster children at the Hope Meadows facility.
Location/Institution: Hope Meadows facility, Central Illinois
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The current study examined how living at Hope Meadows benefits both foster children and senior citizens. Random self-reports from the senior citizens detailed feeling better, improved health, and generally more positive outlooks on life. Results found Hope Meadows provided the seniors with a sense of safety and security and with meaningful relationships with people of all ages. Limitations include lack of generalizability due to ethnicity, self-reported measures, and lack of follow-up.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.
Power, M. B., Eheart, B. K., Racine, D., & Karnik, N. S. (2007). Aging well in an intentional intergenerational community: Meaningful relationships and purposeful engagement. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 5(2), 7-25. doi:10.1300/J194v05n02_02
Type of Study:
Case study
Number of Participants:
2
Population:
- Age — Not specified
- Race/Ethnicity — Not specified
- Gender — Not specified
- Status — Participants were foster children at the Hope Meadows facility.
Location/Institution: Hope Meadows facility, Central Illinois
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
This study examined the health and well-being of the seniors at Hope Meadows. Random self-reports from the seniors detailed feeling better, improved health, and generally more positive outlooks on life. Limitations include nonrandomization of participants, lack of control group, small sample size, and lack of follow-up.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.
Additional References
No reference materials are currently available for Generations of Hope.
Contact Information
- Tom Berkshire
- Website: ghdc.generationsofhope.org
- Email: berkshire5@comcast.net
Date Research Evidence Last Reviewed by CEBC: February 2017
Date Program Content Last Reviewed by Program Staff: January 2017
Date Program Originally Loaded onto CEBC: March 2017
