NEW YORK, Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Longevity Center, with support from MetLife Foundation, has selected 15 community colleges to receive $20,000 grants for caregiver training programs.

The 2009 Community College Training Initiative grants are part of the Caregiving Project for Older Americans, a partnership of the International Longevity Center and the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education. The initiative is focused on addressing a growing caregiving crisis by encouraging the expansion of caregiver training programs for family caregivers and in-home care workers. Since 2007, the initiative has awarded 39 grants.

"This initiative has gained tremendous momentum in recent years and this year's applications were particularly strong," said Dr. Robert N. Butler, president and CEO of the International Longevity Center. "More than ever, people who need quality homecare are having difficulty finding it, and families who often provide care are facing greater challenges balancing work and home responsibilities."

This year's winners are:

• Aiken Technical College (Aiken, South Carolina), to expand its caregiver program to an offsite location in Aiken County, which will assist in-home care agencies to provide quality care for clients and provide a career pathway for in-home caregivers.
• Cabrillo College (Aptos, California), to launch a training program that targets direct care workers and family caregivers. The program will offer a combination of lecture, discussion, and experiential learning techniques in Spanish and English.
• Clark College (Vancouver, Washington), to create home-based caregiver training through E-learning modules. The modules will provide high definition videos illustrating the proper techniques for home healthcare.
• Community College of Allegheny County (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), to develop a training program that incorporates multicultural standards into a personal assistant training program for paid and family caregivers.