Lifeline Youth & Family Services

What Lifeline Youth & Family Services does

Lifeline Youth & Family Services, Inc. is a Fort Wayne, Indiana-based 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 1968 that delivers home-based child welfare and family preservation services across all 92 Indiana counties through five regional offices. The organization operates three core service lines: Family Preservation Services (FPS), Home-Based Services (HBS), and Adoption & Guardianship Support Services (AGSS), serving families referred primarily through the Indiana Department of Child Services, county Probation Offices, and the Department of Corrections. Lifeline also runs community programs such as Project Incentive and Project Wish List and operates within the Lasting Change, Inc. family of companies alongside Crosswinds Counseling and Pierceton Woods Academy, collectively employing nearly 600 staff.

The organization's service delivery platform is built on eight credentialed evidence-based practices — Family Centered Treatment (FCT), Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, Seeking Safety, and 1-2-3 Magic — delivered by more than 450 home-based service specialists and licensed therapists. Specialized offerings include the Lifebook Creation tool for children in foster, kinship, or adoptive placements. Operational scale includes 282,790 direct client hours in 2022 and approximately 1,000 FPS referrals handled per week, with reported NCFAS outcome scores in the 80–93% range. The organization holds Joint Commission accreditation.

Lifeline's revenue model is anchored in multi-year government contracts with the Indiana Department of Child Services, supplemented by 501c3 donations and a limited volume of private placements. Services are provided at no direct cost to eligible families, with pricing negotiated through state contracting rather than published rate cards. The organization is led by CEO Tim Smith (since January 2022) under the parent holding company Lasting Change, Inc., which was incorporated in 2016 to consolidate internal administrative functions across the affiliated entities.

Name

Lifeline Youth & Family Services

Legal name

Lifeline Youth & Family Services, Inc.

Website

https://lifelineyouth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Lifeline Youth & Family Services is a Fort Wayne, Indiana-based nonprofit founded in 1968 that delivers home-based Family Preservation, Home-Based, and Adoption & Guardianship Support Services to families referred by Indiana's Department of Child Services across all 92 state counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and Family Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

Keywords

• Youth and family services
• Family preservation services
• Home-based case management
• Adoption support services
• Evidence-based therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: Lifeline operates under contract with the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) to provide Family Preservation Services, Home-Based Services, and Adoption & Guardianship Support Services. Services are funded through government contracts and align with the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) for federal funding eligibility.
2. Non-Profit Donations: As a 501c3 non-profit organization, Lifeline also receives donations from individuals, churches, and community organizations to support programs like Project Wish List and Backpack Roundup community events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lifeline Youth & Family Services operates as a faith-based nonprofit providing home-based child welfare and family preservation services in Indiana. The organization delivers Family Preservation Services (FPS), Home-Based Services (HBS) including family casework, therapy, supervised visitations and parent education, and Adoption & Guardianship Support Services (AGSS) for foster, adoptive, kinship, and guardianship families. All services are delivered under contract with the Indiana Department of Child Services and county Probation Offices, certified across multiple evidence-based practices (FCT, TBRI, TF-CBT, CBT, 1-2-3 Magic, Seeking Safety, Motivational Interviewing) and accredited by The Joint Commission.

Product overview

Lifeline Youth & Family Services is a faith-based nonprofit organization founded in 1968, offering a coordinated suite of social services for families involved with Indiana's child welfare system. The organization operates three core service lines: Family Preservation Services (FPS) as the largest FPS provider in Indiana, Home-Based Services (HBS) offering casework, therapy, and parent education, and Adoption & Guardianship Support Services (AGSS) providing pre- and post-permanency support. These core services are delivered alongside Evidence-Based Practices including Family Centered Treatment (FCT), Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), Trauma-Focused CBT, and other therapeutic modalities. Community programs such as Project Incentive extend the organization's reach. Services are available across all 92 Indiana counties through five regional offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Adoption & Guardianship Support Services (AGSS): Pre and post adoption/guardianship support services for families in Indiana
• Family Preservation Services (FPS)
• Home-Based Services (HBS)

Products and services

• Family Preservation Services (FPS) Intensive home-based service designed to keep families together by providing holistic care through evidence-based practices across all 92 Indiana counties. Delivered to families referred through the Indiana Department of Child Services, Probation Offices, and Department of Corrections under the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA).
• Home-Based Services (HBS) Comprehensive family support services including family casework, family therapy, supervised visitations, parent aid services, and parent education, available in all 92 Indiana counties for families referred through DCS and partner agencies.
• Adoption & Guardianship Support Services (AGSS) Continuum of care for foster, adoption, kinship, and guardianship families providing pre-adoption and post-adoption support services in partnership with Indiana's Department of Child Services. Includes TBRI training, support groups, and Lifebook creation.
• Project Incentive Community outreach program serving children and families at Brookmill Court Apartments, a low-income housing community in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Includes school supply distributions (Backpack Roundup), Building Blocks Preschool, family support services, and the Project Wish List Christmas program aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty.
• Support Groups for Resource Families Monthly in-person and virtual support groups for families created by adoption, foster care, relative placement, kinship, guardianship, and respite. Group topics include attachment, trauma-informed parenting, adolescent parenting, and transitions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80.7% of Family Preservation clients improved when working with Lifeline staff in 2022
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner contracted to provide Family Preservation Services (FPS), Home-Based Services (HBS), and Adoption & Guardianship Support Services (AGSS) statewide. Lifeline was selected as provider for the state's AGSS contract in July 2022. The partnership enables Lifeline to receive referrals from DCS Family Case Managers and other child welfare agencies.
• County Probation Offices (Indiana)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for families and youth involved in the legal system. Probation offices refer clients to Lifeline for home-based services and therapeutic support.
• Lasting Change, Inc. (Parent Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLasting Change, Inc. is the parent organization incorporated in 2016 to help other organizations achieve internal efficiency. The family of companies includes Lifeline Youth & Family Services, Crosswinds Counseling, and Pierceton Woods Academy. Tim Smith serves as CEO of Lasting Change. In 2021, the organization delivered nearly 1 million hours of face-to-face counseling-related services.
• Crosswinds CounselingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company under Lasting Change family of companies providing mental health counseling services. Works collaboratively with Lifeline to provide comprehensive care for families.
• Pierceton Woods AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company - a qualified residential treatment program offering placement for young men with substance abuse issues or sexually maladaptive behaviors. Provides holistic approach toward healing through therapy, education, vocational training, and aftercare.
• Northwest BankminorOthersCorporate sponsor for community events including Backpack Roundup school supply distribution program.
• US Savings BankminorOthersCorporate sponsor for community events including Backpack Roundup school supply distribution program.
• The Chapel (Fort Wayne)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based partner church that sponsors community events including Project Wish List Christmas gift program and other community outreach initiatives.
• Fellowship Missionary ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based partner church for community events and support programs.
• Brookmill Court ApartmentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLow-income housing community partner for Project Incentive program and community events including Backpack Roundup and Project Wish List.
• Lost SparrowsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization advocating for vulnerable children. Lifeline staff attend Lost Sparrows Healing Childhood Trauma Conference and connect families with their resources.
• Dustin’s PlaceminorOthersGrief support organization for children ages 4-18 and adults at no cost. Resource for families navigating grief and loss associated with adoption and guardianship.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• KidsPeace: Pennsylvania-headquartered nonprofit operating residential and community-based programs for at-risk youth and families. Shares the multi-service continuum (residential, home-based, community) and reliance on state Medicaid/county funding.
• Methodist Home for Children: Faith-based nonprofit providing residential treatment, family preservation, and adoption services in multiple states. Operates a similar faith-rooted model of contracting with state agencies to deliver home-based and out-of-home child welfare services.
• KVC Health Systems: Midwest-based nonprofit child welfare and behavioral health provider operating in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Comparable in single-state scale, EBP delivery, and government contracting relationships with state child welfare agencies.
• Starr Commonwealth: Michigan-based nonprofit providing residential, educational, and community-based services for at-risk youth and families. Comparable in size, EBP-driven service model, and state-funded operating model.
• National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP): Multi-state nonprofit child welfare provider offering home-based family preservation, foster care, and case management under state government contracts. Operates with a similar referral-based model and EBP-driven service delivery.
• Pressley Ridge: Pennsylvania-based nonprofit serving children, youth, and families through evidence-based programs including family preservation, foster care, and residential services. Comparable in service line breadth and government contract dependence.
• Bethany Christian Services: National nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, and family preservation services across multiple U.S. states. Shares the same faith-based identity, full continuum model (preservation through post-adoption), and government contract revenue structure as Lifeline.

Broad incumbents

• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Large national nonprofit providing behavioral health, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and child welfare services across multiple states. Broader scope than Lifeline but overlaps heavily on trauma-informed EBP delivery and government contract model.

Emerging players

• Crittenton Children's Center: Kansas City-based nonprofit operating residential and community-based behavioral health and child welfare programs. Comparable in size and scope to Lifeline's Indiana footprint, with state contract-driven revenue.

Regional players

• Children's Home Society of California: California-focused nonprofit offering adoption, foster care, and family preservation services. Direct comparable in service line but operates in a different state, illustrating a potential peer/expansion model rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LifelineYouthFam
• Facebookfacebook.com/LifelineFortWayne
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lifelineyouth
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifelineyouthandfamily

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lifeline Youth & Family Services