With more than 63 million Americans already serving as unpaid family caregivers, the strain on home-based support systems has never been more apparent. That is the backdrop for a major new funding push from Community Care Corps, which is now accepting applications for $3.57 million in grants aimed at expanding volunteer-led programs that keep older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers living independently.
Funding will expand community-based volunteer programs, including transportation assistance, to help caregivers & those they support remain independent at home.
ST. LOUIS, MO, UNITED STATES, October 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The sheer scale of caregiving in America—tens of millions of people stepping up for a relative or friend—underscores the urgency for practical, local solutions. Community Care Corps, born from a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living (ACL), is answering that call by opening its 2027 Request for Proposals. The program is run by the Oasis Institute alongside USAging, Caregiver Action Network, and Altarum. Since its launch in 2019, it has helped community organizations across the country design and scale volunteer programs that fit their unique local needs.
Through this latest funding round, Community Care Corps aims to broaden a nationwide network of locally driven volunteer efforts. The goal is straightforward: connect families with hands-on support, strengthen community ties, and give people a real chance to stay in their own homes as they age or face challenges.
The timing of the announcement is deliberate, arriving just before National Family Caregivers Month in November. This year’s theme, “Care Connects Us,” is spearheaded by Caregiver Action Network and gets to the heart of what Community Care Corps is about—caregiving may start within a family, but sustaining it requires a web of neighbors, volunteers, and the wider community.
$3.57 MILLION TO EXPAND COMMUNITY-BASED VOLUNTEER SUPPORT
Community Care Corps will distribute roughly $3.57 million through the 2027 Request for Proposals. These funds are earmarked for innovative volunteer programs that offer practical, nonmedical help to family caregivers, older adults, and adults with disabilities.
A significant slice of that—$1.5 million—is reserved specifically for volunteer chaperone transportation programs. These pair rides with a volunteer who provides companionship and door-through-door assistance, making it safer for people to get to nonemergency medical appointments and outpatient procedures.
The remaining more than $2 million will back other creative volunteer programs that deliver nonmedical aid, such as companionship, help with household chores, and everyday support that allows people to remain independent at home and engaged in their communities.
“Reliable transportation is essential to helping family caregivers, older adults and adults with disabilities stay healthy, connected and independent,” said Paul Weiss, President of The Oasis Institute. “Volunteer chaperone transportation provides the door-through-door support and companionship that traditional transportation options often cannot, helping people safely access healthcare and other essential services while remaining independent at home.”
This 2027 funding also aligns with ACL’s National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, which emphasizes strengthening services that help caregivers maintain their own health and well-being.
“Care Connects Us is more than a theme. It reflects what makes caregiving possible,” said Marvell Adams Jr., CEO of Caregiver Action Network. “For a family caregiver, one more person willing to drive, check in or lend a hand can make a meaningful difference. Community Care Corps puts that idea into action by building connections around caregivers and the people they care for, so families have more support to keep going.”
The program has already seen robust interest from organizations eager to develop fresh approaches, signaling a growing awareness of how crucial community-based volunteer programs have become.
“These volunteer programs are addressing the needs of older adults, adults with disabilities and their caregivers at the community level,” said Sandy Markwood, CEO of USAging. “The ability to live safely at home as a person ages often comes down to something as simple as a neighbor who is willing to help. The respite that this kind of support provides can truly sustain family caregivers who usually carry that responsibility.”
APPLICATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 6, 2027
Applications will be accepted online through 5:00 p.m. ET on January 6, 2027. Organizations interested in applying can learn more about eligibility, funding, application requirements and deadlines at Community Care Corps.
For more information about the 2027 Request for Proposals, visit https://communitycarecorps.org.
ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP TEAM
THE OASIS INSTITUTE
The Oasis Institute is a national nonprofit organization that promotes healthy aging through lifelong learning, wellness programs and volunteer engagement. Founded in St. Louis, Missouri in 1982, Oasis has a national membership of 360,000 adults and serves 52,000 people annually through partnerships in 700 communities in 47 states. For more information, visit https://www.oasisnet.org or call 314-862-4859 x 24.
CAREGIVER ACTION NETWORK
Caregiver Action Network (CAN) is the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for the more than 63 million family caregivers in America. From parents of children with complex health needs to spouses, friends and adult children caring for loved ones with chronic conditions, disabilities or Alzheimer’s, CAN supports the full spectrum of caregiving families. Through free education, peer support and resources, CAN empowers caregivers nationwide to provide care with strength, resilience and hope.
For more information, visit https://www.caregiveraction.org.
USAGING
USAging is the national association representing and supporting the network of Area Agencies on Aging and advocating for the Title VI Native American Aging Programs. Our members help older adults, people with disabilities and family caregivers throughout the United States live with optimal health, well-being, independence and dignity in their homes and communities.
For more information, visit https://www.usaging.org and follow @theUSAging on Facebook, X and Instagram.
FUNDING DISCLOSURE
This project #90CCDG0002 is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $15,644,280.00 with 75 percent funded by ACL/HHS and $5,218,517.21 or 25 percent funded by non-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
MEDIA CONTACTS
The Oasis Institute
Sara Paige
spaige@oasisnet.org
Caregiver Action Network
Nichole Goble
ngoble@caregiveraction.org
USAging
Mary Ek
mek@usaging.org
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Nichole Goble
Caregiver Action Network
+1 202-454-3965
ngoble@caregiveraction.org
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Why it matters: This funding directly targets the quiet crisis of family caregiver burnout by investing in the kind of neighborly, volunteer-based support that keeps people out of institutions. With $1.5 million specifically for chaperone transportation, the program addresses a gap that traditional services often miss—the human connection that makes a trip to the doctor possible. For the millions of Americans balancing work, life, and caregiving, this is a tangible step toward building the community networks they desperately need.
