Background

In 1998, Spence-Chapin established the first Granny Program at an orphanage in Varna, Bulgaria. Twenty women from the community were selected to be grannies and received intensive training on early childhood development. Afterwards, two children were put in the care of each granny, from whom they received critical one-on-one attention.

Today this program continues. The grannies visit with the children five days a week. Their work focuses mainly on speech and language development, enhanced motor skills and relationship attachment skills. They keep diaries about the development of the children, taking great pride in their young charges, sometimes taking them out for rare visits outside the orphanage. The children exhibit marked progress in just one year—closing the gap between their chronological and developmental ages. Results from tests conducted quarterly (Denver Development Assessment) document their levels of growth. Their fine motor skills and emotional development show dramatic improvement, as do their speaking ability, self-confidence and ability to trust.

Expansion

Based on its success, the granny program has served as a model for similar ones in Bulgaria and other parts of the world. In 2000, Spence-Chapin initiated a granny program for infants and toddlers in Xi'an, China, at a large orphanage caring for 350 children. This summer the program was extended to include 28 children betweeen the ages of 3 and 5 who will continue to receive the care and attention of their grannies in their next stage of development.

Since 2002, Rita Taddonio, the director of Spence-Chapin's Adoption Resource Center and its child development unit, SPARK, has visited Xi'an on a regular basis to offer training in child development theory and practice to the grannies and interested staff. In the future, Spence-Chapin hopes to offer these training sessions to the rest of the granny programs.

In 2005, a new program was started in Moldova at the Chisinau Municipal Special Children's Orphanage. Ten grannies currently participate. Thanks to their attention, the 40 children entrusted to their care have shown improvement in behavior, speaking ability and motor skills.

A Brighter Future

Since the establishment of the first program in 1998, hundreds of children have benefited from the granny programs sponsored by Spence-Chapin. Some of these children will be adopted, but many of them will not. All of them have a brighter future due to the positive effects of early intervention—and loving attachment—on their development. Using agency funds, foundation grants and individual donations, Spence-Chapin plans to expand this program to help more children in need.

Sponsor a Granny

You can sponsor a granny for $600 a year or underwrite a full granny program for 12 months with a gift of $10,000.