FiftyForward Foster Grandparent Program (FGP)

FiftyForward’s Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) is recruiting volunteers to mentor and tutor pre-school and elementary school students in Davidson County.

FGP volunteers serve between 15 – 40 hours a week in a classroom setting helping students with academic and social emotional development. In return for their service, volunteers receive:

  • A $4 per hour stipend
  • Mileage reimbursement, a bus pass or AccessRide fare from their home to their school
  • Meals during service hours
  • The opportunity to support their community 

Benefits provided by the Foster Grandparent program do not qualify as income and do not affect a volunteer’s ability to access social support systems such as SNAP or subsidized housing.

If you meet the eligibility requirements outlined below and are interested in learning more about becoming a Foster Grandparent volunteer, contact FGP Program Manager Christie Bearden at 615-743-3420.

Volunteer interviews will take place this spring and summer with training set for mid-July 2023.  Volunteers will begin their placement in the schools and child learning centers in late summer and early fall.  Volunteers are asked to make at least a one-year commitment to service, but most FGP volunteers serve between 5 and 10 years.

FiftyForward’s Foster Grandparent volunteers are a close-knit group of older adults who care about their community and each other. Volunteers participate in monthly in-service trainings and enjoy two special recognition events annually. 

In order to qualify for service in the Foster Grandparent Program, volunteers must:

  • Live in Davidson County
  • Be 55 years old or older
  • Have an annual income below $27,180 for a single person household
  • Complete a Criminal History Check
  • Participate in pre-service training
  • Abide by program guidelines
  • Love learning and helping others
AmeriCorps Seniors
AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.

About the program

FiftyForward was selected as an original site for the national Foster Grandparent Program more than 54 years ago and proudly continues to provide tutoring and mentoring for children in Davidson County.

Each year, 55 older adults serve approximately 60,000 hours as volunteers providing one-on-one mentoring and tutoring for more than 1,000 at-risk children. FiftyForward Foster Grandparent volunteers play an important role in the development and educational success of children ages 2 years through 4th grade.

For more information about the program or becoming a Foster Grandparent volunteer, please call 615-743-3420.

Program offices are located in the FiftyForward/Patricia Hart Building at 174 Rains Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203.

The FiftyForward Foster Grandparent Program is a proud member of the AmeriCorps family of programs.  AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country’s most pressing challenges, through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities.