City of Philadelphia

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Foster Grandparents

Supporting pre-K and elementary school students through volunteer service in classrooms across Philadelphia.

About

Through the Foster Grandparents program, seniors can stay active by serving youth in their communities.

This program is part of the Senior Corps and funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Philadelphia’s program is one of the oldest and largest of its kind.

Opportunities for seniors

If you become a Foster Grandparent, you'll volunteer 15–40 hours a week in a classroom setting. Volunteers earn a stipend and serve in Pre-K programs and elementary schools citywide.

Opportunities for host sites

Educational sites can apply to host the Foster Grandparent program at no cost. To apply, your site or program should serve children ages 3–7.

Connect

Address	One Parkway Building 151 Arch Street, FL3 Philadelphia, PA 19102
Email	FGP@phila.gov
Social	Facebook Twitter Instagram

Apply to be a Foster Grandparent

Determine if you qualify to serve.

To participate in the Foster Grandparent program, you must:

Be age 55 or older.
Have a limited income.
Be able to volunteer 15–40 hours per week.
Live in Philadelphia.

You should also:

Enjoy working with children ages 3–7.
Be willing to volunteer under supervision in a classroom.
Be able to give one-on-one attention to your assigned students.

Attend an information session to learn more and confirm your eligibility.

Fill out the interest form and a staff member will be in touch about the information session. You’ll need to bring your state-issued ID or license, as well as proof of income.

Consent to a background check.

We’ll run this background check at no cost to you. It will include the following databases:

Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance
Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check
FBI Criminal History Background Check
National Sex Offender public website

Attend an orientation and begin your service.

Apply to be a host site

We are always looking for schools, Pre-K programs, and after-school programs to host our Foster Grandparent volunteers. To apply, complete the host site interest survey. We’ll be in touch with next steps.