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OSF Children's Hospital of Illinois care take with child

Volunteering at Almost Home Kids

Volunteers are at the heart of Almost Home Kids. Whether you're playing with a child, assisting with administrative tasks or helping maintain our welcoming space, your time and talents bring joy and comfort to children with medical complexities and their families.

How You Can Help 

As a volunteer, you can use your strengths and interests to give back to the kids and families we serve. We offer a variety of opportunities:

  • Recreational volunteers – Read, play, do puzzles with or simply comfort children
  • Administrative volunteers – Support our staff with office duties
  • Facility volunteers – Help with seasonal decorating, yard work or maintaining our welcoming space
  • Event and fundraising volunteers – Assist with donation drives, corporate volunteer days and special events that support Almost Home Kids.

Almost Home Kids is not an appropriate site for court-mandated service hours.

Almost Home Kids female volunteer pulls a child in a small cart

Being a Volunteer

Bring smiles and comfort to children by volunteering your time. Shifts are available seven days a week and can last one to two hours. You can choose your own shifts based on your availability.

To be a volunteer, you must:

Be at least 16 years old

  • Commit to at least four hours of service per month with a minimum of 20 hours of service
  • Complete an online application
  • Attend an orientation session
    • Complete an authorization form for a background (volunteers aged 18 and older

Student Volunteers

Whether you're fulfilling service hours or exploring a future in health care, your time spent serving the kids here will be rewarding. Student volunteers must meet the same requirements as recreational volunteers. 


female care worker smiles at a small toddler in a wheelchair

Ready to get started?

Complete the online application. Once approved, you’ll be invited to a monthly orientation session, which is about one and a half hours. We process applications in the order received, so please allow time for review. We can’t wait to welcome you!


Apply as a New Volunteer

Signing Up for Volunteer Shifts

After completing the volunteer orientation, you will receive an email indicating you are “active.”

You will then click the link below to begin signing up for shifts.
Current Volunteer Login