By Daniel Lapham/Staff Writer

Squeals of joy erupted and faces lit up as “Grandma” walked into the classroom full of first-graders last Wednesday morning.

“Grandma, help me. Over here, Grandma” were the only things one could hear on Wednesday morning as Stella LaRocque hugged “her kids” in Tearsa Innis’ classroom at Lincoln Elementary School.

El Reno’s children are in need of more grandparents — foster grandparents, that is, Innis said.

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services and the Corporation for National Service sponsor the Area I Foster Grandparent Program that services western Oklahoma.