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Secretary Thompson said the grants will be used by states to run programs that provide critical support, including home and community-based services, to help families maintain their caregiver roles. It 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," Secretary 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 principal component of the program consists of grants to states distributed through a congressionally mandated formula. Other components include innovative competitive grants and a new Native American caregiver support program. Information about these components will be announced in the near future.

In January, the department's Administration on Aging (AoA) issued comprehensive program guidance to states and has been providing technical assistance as states provide needed information for the grant program. AoA's Web site includes a description of the program and a list of frequently asked questions about the Older Americans Act and the new caregiver program (www.aoa.gov).

"States will work closely with their local area agencies on aging and other service providers in the community to put into place program services," said Norman L. Thompson, acting principal deputy assistant secretary for aging. "Among those services are information and assistance, training, counseling and support, and respite opportunities to allow caregivers to take short breaks from their often stressful daily caregiving responsibilities."

A list of state and territorial allocations under the grant program is below.

 

National Family Caregiver Support Program grant allocations

Alabama	$1,739,242	Nevada	$   603,803
Alaska	564,300	New Hampshire	564,300
Arizona	1,956,318	New Jersey	3,496,629
Arkansas	1,125,177	New Mexico	594,433
California	11,359,851	New York	7,612,334
Colorado	1,245,978	North Carolina	2,916,628
Connecticut	1,509,874	North Dakota	564,300
Delaware	564,300	Ohio	4,739,721
District of Columbia	564,300	Oklahoma	1,388,901
Florida	8,721,584	Oregon	1,396,517
Georgia	2,305,333	Pennsylvania	6,097,763
Hawaii	564,300	Rhode Island	564,300
Idaho	564,300	South Carolina	1,421,896
Illinois	4,732,281	South Dakota	564,300
Indiana	2,331,599	Tennessee	2,083,754
Iowa	1,391,731	Texas	6,147,379
Kansas	1,139,251	Utah	573,563
Kentucky	1,516,043	Vermont	564,300
Louisiana	1,535,025	Virginia	2,354,500
Maine	564,300	Washington	2,083,944
Maryland	1,843,229	West Virginia	854,259
Massachusetts	2,766,510	Wisconsin	2,203,655
Michigan	3,848,418	Wyoming	564,300
Minnesota	1,875,522	American Samoa	70,538
Mississippi	1,031,878	Guam	282,150
Missouri	2,337,876	Northern Marianas	70,538
Montana	564,300	Puerto Rico	1,203,867
Nebraska	732,458	Virgin Islands	282,150

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