Children's Institute

What Children's Institute does

Children's Institute (CII), founded in 1906 and headquartered in Los Angeles, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving approximately 30,000 children and families annually across Central LA, South LA, and the South Bay. The organization operates a multi-generational, wraparound service model delivered through roughly 32 early childhood centers, 100+ classrooms, three primary campuses (Echo Park/Otis Booth, the Frank Gehry-designed Watts "Building on Success" facility opened in 2022, and Long Beach), and home- and school-based outreach. Programmatic lines span Head Start and Early Head Start, behavioral health and wellness (including trauma-focused therapies such as PCIT, TF-CBT, Child-Parent Psychotherapy, and MAP-guided clinical supervision), the REACH Team for children exposed to violence, Project Fatherhood, the Mental Health Promoters initiative, and Community Public Health Teams in Watts.

The core "technology" of Children's Institute is a trauma-informed, evidence-based clinical and educational practice stack, augmented by an APA-accredited doctoral internship program and professional training infrastructure that has trained over 60,000 practitioners over 25 years. There is no proprietary software platform; differentiation rests on accreditations (Charity Navigator 4-star, Candid Platinum, COA, NAEYC, Healthy Families America, NCTSN partner, APA), credentialed clinical staff (nearly 1,000 employees), and durable relationships with schools (LAUSD), federal agencies (OJJDP, Office of Head Start), and five California Medi-Cal managed-care plans (Anthem, HealthNet, LACare, BlueShield, Molina) that fund Enhanced Care Management services.

Revenue is diversified across donations (Community Champions monthly giving program ranging from $10-$500/month, annual Cape & Gown Gala raising $470K-$820K per event), federal Head Start and Early Head Start funding, Medi-Cal capitation via the ECM channel, and professional training fees (e.g., $1,300 per TF-CBT full-protocol participant). The customer base is largely low-income families facing adversity in Los Angeles, served free of charge; commercial customers are effectively health-plan payers and government funders rather than individual beneficiaries. Leadership is stable under President & CEO Martine Singer (since August 2016) with a deep executive bench and a Board of Trustees chaired by Tarek Kutrieh (CFO of Liftoff Mobile).

Name

Children's Institute

Legal name

Children's Institute, Inc.

Website

https://childrensinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Children's Institute is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1906 that serves roughly 30,000 children and families annually through Head Start centers, trauma-informed behavioral health, parenting programs, and Medi-Cal Enhanced Care Management across Central LA, South LA, and the South Bay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child & Family Social Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (624410), Child Care Services (62441), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs (EDACAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Developmental Therapy / Early Childhood Special Instruction (EDACAFAG), Health Education & Parent Coaching (Sleep, Safety, Illness Management) (EDACAMAN), Mental Health & Infant/Early Childhood Consultation (0–5) (EDACAFAO), Developmental Screening & Assessment (0–5) (EDACAFAA)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Behavioral health services
• Trauma-informed counseling
• Community family services
• Foster youth programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations through various channels including monthly giving programs (Community Champions), one-time gifts, stock donations, and in-kind donations. Corporate sponsorships available for events.
2. Professional Training and Conferences: Revenue generated from professional training programs including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy certification training ($1,300 full protocol), clinical internships with stipends, and professional development conferences.
3. Government Funded Programs: Head Start and Early Head Start programs funded by federal government, serving children 0-5 with comprehensive early childhood education and family services.
4. Enhanced Care Management (ECM): Free benefit for eligible Medi-Cal beneficiaries, providing care coordination and system navigation services through partnerships with health plans including Anthem, HealthNet, LACare, BlueShield, and Molina.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Children's Institute is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers trauma-informed early childhood education, behavioral health counseling, family support, and care coordination services to children and families experiencing adversity. It operates Head Start and Early Head Start centers, Enhanced Care Management for Medi-Cal beneficiaries, crisis-response and father-engagement programs, and APA-accredited clinical training, reaching roughly 30,000 children and family members each year across more than 30 sites.

Product overview

Children's Institute is a nonprofit organization offering a multi-generational wraparound approach to supporting children and families in Los Angeles facing adversity. The organization operates a diverse portfolio of programs organized across several service lines: Early Childhood Education (Head Start/Early Head Start centers across LA County), Behavioral Health & Wellness (trauma-informed counseling and clinical internship programs), Community Health (Enhanced Care Management, Mental Health Promoters, REACH Team for violence-exposed children, Community Public Health Teams), Parenting Support (Project Fatherhood, strengthening families services), and Community Schools partnerships. With campuses in Echo Park, Watts (Frank Gehry-designed), and Long Beach, the organization serves approximately 30,000 children and families annually through nearly 1,000 staff members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Project Fatherhood: Program providing comprehensive parenting skills to men in caregiving roles using an innovative support group model.
• REACH Team
• Building on Success
• Cape & Gown Gala
• Otis Booth Campus

Products and services

• Head Start & Early Head Start Free early childhood education and family support services for income-eligible families with infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children, delivered at multiple community centers across Los Angeles County.
• Behavioral Health & Wellness Services Trauma-informed mental-health counseling and therapy for children, adolescents, and families, delivered in centers, schools, homes, and via telehealth.
• Enhanced Care Management (ECM) Care-coordination service for Medi-Cal managed-care plan members with complex needs, integrating medical, behavioral-health, and social-service support.
• REACH Team Crisis-response and trauma-support services for children exposed to violence in Los Angeles County communities.
• Project Fatherhood Case-management and peer-support program that engages fathers in healthy parenting, child development, and family stability.
• Strengthening Families Parent-education and family-strengthening workshops that build protective factors around children and caregivers.
• Mental Health Promoters Community-based mental-health education, stigma reduction, and warm-line support delivered by trained community promoters.
• Doctoral Internship Program in Clinical Psychology APA-accredited, full-time doctoral internship for clinical psychology candidates, providing supervised clinical experience.
• Clinical Internship Program Supervised field placements for graduate-level trainees in counseling and social work, supporting workforce pipeline development.
• Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) Professional Training Paid training and certification course for licensed mental-health practitioners learning Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000 children and families impacted annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• P.S. ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2024Arts education partnership at Otis Booth campus providing creative programming for children and families served by CII.
• TwinspirecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2024Partnership at Otis Booth campus to expand services and resources for the community.
• Frank GehryflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2022World-renowned architect Frank Gehry designed the $20 million Watts campus pro bono, creating a 20,000 sq ft community center. The campus serves as a permanent investment and architectural landmark for the Watts community.
• Anthem Blue CrosscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealth plan partner for Enhanced Care Management (ECM) program providing free care coordination services to eligible Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
• HealthNetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealth plan partner for ECM program providing care coordination services to Medi-Cal members.
• LACarecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealth plan partner for ECM program serving Los Angeles County Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
• BlueShield of CaliforniacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealth plan partner for ECM program providing care coordination services.
• Molina HealthcarecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealth plan partner for ECM program serving eligible Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
• Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner collaborating with REACH Team to support children and families exposed to violence in South LA communities.
• Watts HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity health partnership providing outreach and education through Community Public Health Teams in Watts.
• Les AmiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFellow nonprofit organization supporting CII since 1962 through annual Patron Drive and Benefit fundraising.
• LAUSDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing Safe Zones and immigration response support for student families.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Para Los Niños: LA-based nonprofit providing early childhood education, mental health, and family services to children and families in poverty—directly comparable service portfolio and target population in the same LA market as Children's Institute.
• Five Acres: LA-based child and family services nonprofit offering residential, mental health, and adoption services—comparable on foster youth, behavioral health, and family support in the same market.
• Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services: LA-based nonprofit providing mental health, foster care, and early childhood services across Southern California—overlapping on behavioral health, foster youth, and early intervention programs.
• Crystal Stairs: LA-based nonprofit operating Head Start and Early Head Start programs across LA County—most directly comparable on federal early childhood programming footprint and target families.
• Penny Lane Centers: LA County-based nonprofit providing mental health, foster care, and community-based family services—directly comparable service lines including behavioral health and child welfare.
• A Place Called Home: South LA-based youth development nonprofit serving children and teens with education, arts, and wellness programs—comparable community-centered, trauma-informed approach in overlapping South LA geography.
• First 5 LA: County-funded organization supporting early childhood systems in LA County, including home visiting, early learning, and family support—overlapping on prenatal-to-five service model and target demographic.
• Children's Bureau of Southern California: Southern California nonprofit providing child abuse prevention, foster care, and family services—comparable in child welfare, behavioral health, and family-strengthening mission.

Emerging players

• Heluna Health: California public health nonprofit administering public health programs and providing community health services—partially comparable on ECM-style care coordination and public health partnership models.

Broad incumbents

• LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District): The largest public school district in California and a direct partner with CII through community schools—operates school-based mental health, early childhood, and family services at scale, partially overlapping with CII's K-12 and early childhood footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzJjfNhLr1wJrLDPMOl3vuw
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChildrensInstituteLA
• Instagraminstagram.com/childrensinstituteLA
• Xx.com/ChildrensInstLA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/childrensinstitutela

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Children's Institute