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Institutions and agencies caring for children have actively responded to the program; literally hundreds of requests for Federal funds to start new projects are turned away each year for lack of funds. In addition project directors report eight applications for every foster grandparent volunteer position funded.

The Foster Grandparent Program has provided many insights into the potential utilization of the elderly in social roles in community settings.

It has demonstrated to communities that older persons have the talent, skill, experience, ability and desire to serve their communities by meeting some of the unmet human needs in the community.

RETIRED SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program offers many of America's men and women, age 60 and over, new and varied opportunities for volunteer service to their communities. This program was authorized by the 1969 Amendments to the Older Americans Act.

The purpose of RSVP is to develop a recognized role in the community and a meaningful life in retirement for older adults through significant volunteer service. Retired persons will be encouraged and helped to offer their skills, experience and talents to their communities through socially useful activities There are no income, education or experience requirements for a retired perso to become an RSVP volunteer.

ACTION is authorized to make grants to pay for the development and operation of senior volunteer programs within the limits of appropriated funds. Applicants are required to have a plan for non-Federal contributions to the progra Only one RSVP will be funded in a community or service area.

RSVPs are organized and operated in local communities by public or private nonprofit organizations based in those communities. These organizations seek out older persons for volunteer service through RSVP. In close cooperation with Volunteer Stations, the organizations and institutions needing volunteers. the local RSVP arranges for proper orientation, assignment, instruction and supervision of Senior Volunteers.

Senior Volunteers serve in a great variety of assignments, such as schools, parks, courts, museums, day care centers, hospitals, libraries, welfare agencies, nursing homes, institutions, etc. Assignments are carefully selected to match the needs of Senior Volunteers as well as the needs of the Volunteer Stations at which they serve. Senior Volunteers receive no compensation, but are reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses incident to their service, such as transportation and meals.

Eleven programs were funded with $500,000 in fiscal year 1971 by the Administration on Aging, U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. On July 1, 1971 the Retired Senior Volunteer Program was transferred to ACTION. The Presidnet's fiscal year 1972 budget request for RSVP is $5 million. If this amount is appropriated by Congress it will permit the development of an estimated 75 additional programs.

Information about RSVP and grant application procedures will be available to prospective grantees by October 1, 1971, through State Offices on aging. All RSVP applications will be submitted to ACTION through the State offices on aging. This permits the State offices to comment on the capacity of applicants to conduct the program as proposed.

July 1971

* Each of the 10 Regional Offices of ACTION will begin with a Older Americans Field Representative and a secretary with additional Regional staff to be added depending on workload.

Senator EAGLETON. Commissioner Martin, on that nutritional program that Senator Kennedy raised with you and you said you were going to continue funding for another year, do we as yet know where those funds are coming from? In order to fund it, some funds are going to have to be taken away from some other program.

Commissioner MARTIN. Yes, we are funding them for another year. Senator EAGLETON. Has the decision been made as to where the $1.7 million is to be subtracted, who is going to lose, what program is going to lose?

Commissioner MARTIN. Research and demonstration money for the total SRS social rehabilitation program. There has been no decision as to what portion of that account they will come from but they will come from that account.

Senator EAGLETON. When that decision is made do you anticipate, by the way, that it will be made fairly soon?

Commissioner MARTIN. Yes, soon.

Senator EAGLETON. Would you please notify us of the specific details as to what programs are going to be cut back in order that this nutritional program can go forward? I happen to agree with the nutritional program and am glad that it is going to be funded for another year, but I am also wondering who is going to pay for the two. Commissioner MARTIN. We shall notify you.

Senator EAGLETON. Mr. Fasser, not immediately germane or precisely germane to today's hearing on S. 555 but since it has been repeatedly mentioned in your testimony with respect to the Emergency Employment Act, you realize that some question has been raised as to the allocation of funds under the Emergency Employment Act.

State-by-State allocation was announced by the Department on July 23. Is any thought being currently given in the Department to reviewing that allocation formula with a thought to revising it, or is it final, irrevocable and that is it?

Mr. FASSER. I don't think anything is final in that sense or irrevocable. The decision stands to use a formula where we will take into account the number of persons who are unemployed and the severity of the unemployment in that particular State, for that initial allocation. As of this time that decision still stands.

Senator KENNEDY. On the foster grandparents program, as I understand, they spent $10.5 million last year; is that right?

Commissioner MARTIN. That is correct.

Senator KENNEDY. And then the request this year was for-the original budget request was for 7.5.

Commissioner MARTIN. That is correct. That budget request was later raised again, back to $10.5 million.

Senator KENNEDY. Well why was it cut back? After the expression of enthusiasm that everyone has stated in terms of the foster grandparents program

Commissioner MARTIN. It was thought

Senator KENNEDY. What is the authorization?

Commissioner MARTIN. It was thought, Senator, that there could be some trade off with the retired senior volunteer program. When the problem was scrutinized more carefully it became quite clear that there would be no real trade off there. Because it become clear that there

were the foster grandparents who would not or could not really transfer to the retired senior volunteer program and I think that was the reason that the restoration was made.

Senator KENNEDY. What was spent on the RSVP, $500,000? Commissioner MARTIN. $500,000, yes, to get the program started. We funded 10 programs and we have $5 million.

Senator KENNEDY. What was it this year?

Commissioner MARTIN. In fiscal 1971 it was $500,000 and in the fiscal 1972 budget it is $5 million. So that ACTION anticipates that some 80 programs will be funded by the end of the present fiscal year. The program is fully operative now. And the demands or the requests for funding have come from all over the country.

Senator KENNEDY. What will be the administration's request in terms of the foster grandparents program? The authorization goes up rather significantly. Can you tell us anything about that? What you expect to be the request?

Commissioner MARTIN. Of course, that is now over in the ACTION Agency, and I can't speak to that, Senator. I don't know what funding is being contemplated there.

Senator KENNEDY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Senator EAGLETON. Thank you, Senator. Thank you, gentlemen, Mr. Fasser and Commissioner Martin.

For the record, could we have the names of the two gentlemen with you? I think one gentleman responded to a question.

Mr. RAVIN. Louis Ravin, Office of Policy and Planning, Department of Labor.

Mr. O'DELL. Charles O'Dell, Manpower Training Services.

Commissioner MARTIN. Senator, Mr. Richard Verville, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislation at HEW.

Senator EAGLETON. Very good.

OK. Our next witnesses are Mr. Bert Seidman and Mr. Kenneth Young. AFL-CIO.

Mr. Seidman and Mr. Young, we welcome you and you may proceed. May we have order please?

Mr. Seidman, do you want to identify the third member of your team?

STATEMENT OF BERT SEIDMAN, DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY; ACCOMPANIED BY KENNETH YOUNG, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLATION AND LAWRENCE SMEDLEY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY, AFL-CIO

Mr. SEIDMAN. Yes, I will be glad to. My name is Bert Seidman and I am director of the Department of Social Security, AFL-CIO. With me to my left is Kenneth Young of the AFL-CIO Legislative Department, and to my right is Lawrence Smedley, assistant director of the AFL-CIO Department of Social Security.

Mr. Chairman, I have a prepared statement, but in view of the lateness of the hour, with your permission I would like to submit it for inclusion in the record and try to summarize the main points in the statement.