TL;DR. Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia (JFCS) is a 170-year-old human services nonprofit that partners with A-Team Home Care for case management and family-caregiver enrollment. JFCS is open to all faiths and backgrounds. For Greater Philadelphia families who want a professional case manager guiding the care plan alongside paid in-home caregiving, the JFCS + A-Team enrollment path is the third option in A-Team’s Family Caregiver Program — designed for families who want more than just a caregiver showing up.
What is JFCS?
Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia traces its history back to 1855, when philanthropist Rebecca Gratz founded the Jewish Foster Home — the first institution in the United States dedicated to caring for Jewish children. Today, JFCS describes itself as “a lifeline for nearly 30,000 people each year” and explicitly states: “Serving all people, especially those most in need in our community… all are welcome.”
In 2024, JFCS merged with Abramson Senior Care, combining nearly 400 years of legacy service. Inside JFCS today, senior services operate as Abramson Senior Care of JFCS, the comprehensive resource for older adults and their caregivers across the Greater Philadelphia region.
JFCS is not a Medicaid program and not an Area Agency on Aging. It is a private nonprofit that provides case management, counseling, social work, and care coordination services — often paid through grants, private pay, and partnerships with other agencies. JFCS partners with A-Team Home Care so that when a family needs both case management and hands-on in-home caregiving, those two pieces work together.
What case management actually means
For families navigating geriatric care for the first time, “case management” is the difference between handling everything alone and having a professional in the family’s corner. A JFCS care manager:
- Assesses the older adult’s full picture — medical, financial, housing, social, family dynamics
- Creates and updates a written care plan
- Coordinates with physicians, hospitals, rehab facilities, and home care providers like A-Team
- Helps the family apply for benefits (Medicaid, OPTIONS, VA Aid & Attendance, prescription assistance)
- Mediates family decision-making when adult siblings disagree on care
- Provides crisis intervention if a hospitalization or fall changes the picture
- Connects to counseling, support groups, and Holocaust Survivor services where relevant
For a family that lives across multiple states caring long-distance for a Philadelphia parent — or for a family inside one home where the caregiving load is grinding down a primary caregiver — case management is the missing piece.
Quick reference
| Who qualifies | Greater Philadelphia families (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia counties) of any faith or background seeking case management plus paid in-home caregiving |
| Income limit | No fixed income cap; JFCS uses a sliding-scale fee model for case management and connects eligible families to Medicaid CHC or PCA OPTIONS for caregiving costs |
| How to apply | Call the JFCS Care Navigation line at 1-866-JFCS-NOW (1-866-532-7669) or email intake@jfcsphilly.org |
| Cost to family | JFCS case management fees vary by service tier and program funding; A-Team caregiving is covered by Medicaid CHC, PCA OPTIONS, VA, or private pay depending on eligibility |
| Timeline | Initial JFCS intake call within 1–3 business days; full care plan typically 2–4 weeks; caregiver placement begins as soon as funding source is active |
What “open to all faiths and backgrounds” means in practice
JFCS’s Jewish heritage is part of its identity, but its services are not faith-restricted. JFCS’s about page is explicit: “Serving all people… all are welcome.” The organization operates under core values of community, dignity, and repairing the world (the Hebrew concept of tikkun olam) — values that translate directly into the everyday work of helping a Catholic family in Northeast Philadelphia, a Muslim family in West Philadelphia, or a secular family in Bucks County navigate care for an aging parent.
For Jewish families specifically, JFCS has additional services rooted in the community: Holocaust Survivor support, kosher meal coordination, and connections to local synagogues. For non-Jewish families, the same case-management professionalism applies without the faith-specific overlays.
How the JFCS + A-Team partnership works
The two organizations handle different but complementary parts of care:
| JFCS handles | A-Team Home Care handles |
|---|---|
| Initial assessment and care plan | Hands-on in-home caregivers (W-2 employees) |
| Case management and ongoing oversight | RN clinical supervision of care |
| Benefits navigation (Medicaid, OPTIONS, VA) | Family Caregiver Program W-2 employment |
| Family counseling and conflict mediation | Bi-weekly payroll, taxes, workers’ comp |
| Crisis intervention and care plan updates | Training, PTO, continuing education |
When a family enrolls through JFCS, the JFCS care manager builds the care plan and identifies the funding source. A-Team steps in as the home care provider — and if a family member wants to be paid as the caregiver, A-Team handles the Family Caregiver Program enrollment, paperwork, and ongoing employment.
Who the JFCS path is best for
This path is the right fit when one or more of these is true:
- The family wants a professional case manager guiding decisions, not just a caregiver showing up
- Multiple adult siblings are involved and decisions need a neutral coordinator
- The family lives across multiple states or far from the parent
- The senior has complex medical conditions that require coordinating multiple specialists
- The family is navigating a recent hospitalization, rehab discharge, or major life change
- The family qualifies for a JFCS-specific program (Holocaust Survivor services, Abramson Senior Care continuum)
- The family wants the Jewish community connection — or wants the same professionalism without it
For Greater Philadelphia families who simply qualify for Medicaid and want a caregiver, the CHC path (Path 1) is often the most direct. JFCS adds value when case management itself is the need.
Geographic service area
JFCS serves five Greater Philadelphia counties:
- Bucks County, PA
- Chester County, PA
- Delaware County, PA
- Montgomery County, PA
- Philadelphia County, PA
This matches exactly with A-Team Home Care’s service area, which is why the partnership works seamlessly across the region. A-Team’s two offices — Philadelphia and Bucks County — cover the same five counties JFCS serves.
How to start with JFCS + A-Team
- Call JFCS first. Dial 1-866-JFCS-NOW (1-866-532-7669), Monday–Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, or email intake@jfcsphilly.org. The Care Navigation line is the single intake point for all JFCS services.
- Complete the JFCS intake. A care navigator collects information about the family, the older adult, and the situation. JFCS then assigns a care manager.
- Care plan and benefits navigation. The JFCS care manager builds the plan and identifies which funding source applies — Pennsylvania Medicaid CHC, PCA OPTIONS, VA Aid & Attendance, private pay, or some combination.
- Connect with A-Team. JFCS refers to A-Team Home Care for the in-home services portion. Families can also call A-Team directly at (215) 490-9994 and request the JFCS partnership track.
- A-Team intake and caregiver placement. A-Team’s clinical team conducts an in-home assessment, builds the personal care plan, and onboards caregivers — including a family member if enrolling in the Family Caregiver Program.
JFCS compared to the other family caregiver paths
A-Team’s Family Caregiver Program has three eligibility paths. Which fits depends on the family’s situation:
- Pennsylvania Community HealthChoices (CHC): The fastest path for Medicaid-eligible adults age 21+ who need help with ADLs. No case-management overlay; A-Team handles everything.
- PCA OPTIONS Program: The right path for Philadelphia residents age 60+ who don’t qualify for full Medicaid. PCA’s care manager handles coordination; A-Team provides the in-home services.
- JFCS Enrollment (this path): The right path when the family wants professional case management plus paid caregiving, with deep coordination across medical, financial, and family-dynamics issues. Works for any income level — JFCS connects eligible families to CHC or OPTIONS as the caregiving payer.
Many families combine paths — for example, JFCS case management plus CHC-funded caregiving — and A-Team’s intake team helps sort out which combination applies.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be Jewish to use JFCS?
No. JFCS explicitly serves all people of all faiths and backgrounds. The organization’s Jewish heritage shapes its values but does not restrict who it serves.
What does JFCS case management cost?
JFCS uses a sliding-scale fee structure, and many services are subsidized through grants and donations. Cost depends on the specific service tier, the family’s resources, and which JFCS program applies. The Care Navigation line at 1-866-JFCS-NOW provides specifics during intake.
Can I use JFCS without A-Team?
Yes — JFCS offers stand-alone case management and many other services. The JFCS + A-Team partnership is specifically for families who also want in-home caregiving, including the Family Caregiver Program.
Can a family member be paid as the caregiver through this path?
Yes, when the underlying funding source (typically CHC or OPTIONS) authorizes it. JFCS coordinates the case; A-Team handles the family-caregiver employment.
What about Abramson Senior Care?
After the 2024 JFCS–Abramson merger, senior services within JFCS now operate as Abramson Senior Care of JFCS. The Care Navigation line (1-866-JFCS-NOW) is the single intake point for both the legacy JFCS senior services and the legacy Abramson Senior Care continuum.
Does JFCS help with Holocaust Survivors specifically?
Yes. JFCS has dedicated Holocaust Survivor support programs, including specialized case management for Survivors and their families. A-Team has experience providing in-home care for Holocaust Survivors and works closely with JFCS on these cases.
What if my parent lives outside the five Greater Philadelphia counties?
JFCS’s service area is Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. A-Team’s service area matches. For families outside this region, the local Area Agency on Aging or Jewish Family Services chapter in that region is the right starting point.
How to get started
Two phone calls connect a family from “we need help” to a coordinated care plan with a paid family caregiver:
- JFCS Care Navigation: 1-866-JFCS-NOW (1-866-532-7669)
- A-Team Home Care: (215) 490-9994
Visit the A-Team Family Caregiver Program page for a comparison of all three paths, or read about A-Team’s companion care services for non-medical in-home support.
Resources and sources
- JFCS of Greater Philadelphia — Official site
- JFCS — About and mission
- JFCS — History (founded 1855 by Rebecca Gratz)
- JFCS — Get Help / intake page
- Abramson Senior Care of JFCS — merger announcement
- JFCS — Candid (GuideStar) nonprofit profile (EIN 23-1352026)
- Wikipedia — Rebecca Gratz
- Wikipedia — Geriatric care management
