Founded in 1976, Family Support Services, Inc. (FSS) is a non-profit child welfare agency operating in the City of Philadelphia and Delaware County. Each year, the agency serves about 1996 children, and its goal has always been to help young families. More than half of its eight programs focus specifically on children in the birth – five year-old age range.

The Agency opened in 1976 as a demonstration child abuse prevention service in Delaware County called the “Family Support Center.” Funding for this center was derived from private, state, and later federal funds. The program was renamed Family School in 1983 and was contracted by the Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide court and DHS-mandated treatment to Philadelphia parents reported for neglect and abuse. A teen parenting component was added to Family School from 1999 through 2003. In 2003, renovations for the Family School facility at 53rd street and Woodland Ave. were largely funded by the William Penn Foundation.

Today, in addition to Family School, FSS’ Child Welfare division runs In Home Protective Services (IHPS), Healthy Start, and The Family Partnership Program.

In 1982 the agency expanded its programming with a suburban fee-for-service Extended-Day Kindergarten and After-School Program. First created at the invitation of the Radnor School District, this on-site “School-Based Extended Day” enrichment program later expanded to cover multiple Elementary school sites in both the Radnor and Haverford School Districts. As of 2009-2010 Family Support Services runs eight site-based programs serving about 700 suburban school children.

From its inception FSS was providing early intervention services (speech, language and physical therapy) to developmentally delayed Family School children. These services expanded to become the Penn Early Childhood Program in 1994. Funded through contracts from the Philadelphia Office of Mental Retardation, and Elwyn, Inc. FSS currently provides early intervention services (at home, in day care or at school) to about 625 developmentally delayed birth to five year-old children.

In 1999, FSS opened a center-based special education program called the Fairmount Early Intervention Center. The center serves 3-5 year old children with 25% or greater developmental delays in a cheerful facility at 2000 Hamilton Street, Philadelphia.