HHS launches National Family Caregiver program

$113M in grants given to states

Tommy G. Thompson, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, recently approved the release of $113 million in grants to states under the new National Family Caregiver Support Program, which helps family members provide care for the elderly at home. The grants will be used by states to run programs that provide critical support, including home and community-based services and help families maintain their caregiver roles. This is the largest new support program under the Older Americans Act since 1972, when Congress established nutritional programs to serve the elderly.

"We must do all we can to ensure that our older residents can remain at home and receive care from loved ones for as long as possible," Thompson said. "This money will allow states to develop systems of support to ease the burden on hundreds of thousands of family caregivers nationwide."

In November 2000, Congress created the new caregiver program as part of the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000. The program distributes grants to states through a congressionally mandated formula and includes innovative competitive grants and a new Native American caregiver support program.

For more information on the grant programs, visit the Department’s Administration on Aging’s web site at www.aoa.gov. (See list of state and territorial allocations under the grant program, below.)