CHILD

What CHILD does

CHILD (Children's Institute for Learning Differences) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit therapeutic day school founded in 1977 by Trina Westerlund in Bellevue, Washington, and currently operating from a single campus at 2640 Benson Road S in Renton, WA. The organization serves up to 52 full-time students aged K-12 who have been unable to succeed in public school due to sensory processing disorders, learning disabilities, autism, ADHD, anxiety, and emotional-behavioral disabilities. Students are placed via partnerships with up to 31 referring school districts across King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties, with enrollment governed by IEP determinations and the goal of transitioning students back to their home districts within 1-3 years.

The therapeutic model centers on Dr. Ross Greene's Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) framework, in use since the late 1990s, which assesses lagging skills and unsolved problems using the ALSUP tool and prioritizes empathy-based, non-punitive interventions. CHILD supplements this with sensory-based occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, school-based mental health counseling, social-emotional learning (SEL) programming, multi-level reading instruction (using i-Ready diagnostics and DLM/Wright Group curricula), and an Integrated Arts program (fine arts, music, video production, Wednesday Clubs). The organization is staffed by credentialed teachers, OTs, SLPs, and mental health counselors operating at small class sizes with high teacher-to-student ratios, and holds Washington State Board of Education Private School approval plus OSPI Non-Public Agency approval (since 1980).

CHILD's revenue model is a hybrid nonprofit funding stack: recurring contracted placements with referring school districts (primary), supplemented by individual donations through the Champions of Hope Society, corporate sponsorships (Microsoft, Nintendo of America, Costco, Puget Sound Energy, BECU), and foundation grants (Norcliffe, M.J. Murdock, Joshua Green, Medina, McEachern, LEGO Children's Fund). Capital campaigns have funded the $6.8M Renton campus relocation (2014-2015) and the November 2022 Sensory Playground Project. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees and led by Executive Director/Chief Visionary Officer Carrie Fannin alongside Founder/Chief Inspiration Officer Trina Westerlund, with a C-suite including a Chief Education and Mission Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, and functional Directors of Enrollment, Finance, Special Education, and Student Supports.

Name

CHILD

Legal name

Children's Institute for Learning Differences

Website

https://childnow.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CHILD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit therapeutic day school in Renton, WA, serving up to 52 K-12 students with learning, behavioral, and sensory challenges referred by 31 Washington school districts, using Dr. Ross Greene's CPS model plus occupational, speech, and mental health therapy to enable transition back to mainstream schools within 1-3 years.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education and Therapeutic Day School Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (624110), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs Early Intervention & Preschool Programs (EDAKAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pediatric Rehabilitation & Developmental Therapy Centers (PT/OT/SLP) (HLAFAJAL), Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Therapeutic day school
• School-based therapy
• Occupational therapy services
• Learning differences support

Headquarters

HQ city

Renton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. School District Contracts: CHILD provides therapeutic day-school services to students placed by partnering school districts. Students have IEPs and receive Special Education services. This forms the primary revenue stream for the nonprofit organization.
2. Individual Donations and Contributions: Individual donors contribute through the Champions of Hope Society with various giving levels ranging from $250 to $5,000+. The organization also accepts planned giving and bequests.
3. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Financial support from corporate sponsors (Microsoft, Costco, Nintendo of America, Puget Sound Energy, etc.) and foundation grants (M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Norcliffe Foundation, PEMCO Foundation, etc.).
4. Capital Campaign Funding: Special fundraising campaigns for facility projects, such as the $6.8 million campus purchase and renovation project.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CHILD is a nonprofit organization operating a therapeutic day-school program for children with severe learning and behavioral challenges who cannot be served in public school settings. Students are placed in partnership with up to 31 school districts across King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties in Washington State, receiving individualized special education, occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, and mental health counseling anchored in Dr. Ross Greene's Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) model. The organization also delivers training and support services for parents and professionals working with children who have learning differences.

Product overview

CHILD (Children's Institute for Learning Differences) is a nonprofit organization operating a single, integrated therapeutic educational model centered on its Therapeutic Day School Program. The core offering is supplemented by three interconnected services: school-based therapy (Mental Health Counseling, Occupational Therapy, and Speech and Language Therapy), the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) empathy-based care model, and Parent/Professional Training. Academic programming includes Reading instruction, Social Emotional Learning (SEL), and an Integrated Arts Program (fine arts, music, video production, Wednesday Clubs). IEP Support Services ensures individualized education plans, while Campus Tours provide family engagement. This is not a platform-plus-modules architecture but rather a unified therapeutic educational ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Therapeutic Day School Program A full-time, year-round therapeutic educational program serving up to 52 students placed by school districts throughout Puget Sound, designed for children unable to attend public school due to learning challenges. Focused on self-regulation, coping skills, resilience, and relationship-building to support transition back to home school districts within 1-3 years.
• Mental Health Counseling School-based mental health counseling services providing therapeutic support for stress, anxiety, depression, coping skills, impulsivity, behavioral difficulties, and peer/family relationships for enrolled students.
• Occupational Therapy Sensory-based occupational therapy enabling children to detect, regulate, and interpret sensations and match them with appropriate motor and behavioral responses, addressing sensory processing, self-regulation, and daily living skills.
• Speech and Language Therapy Speech and language evaluation and therapy services addressing auditory processing, phonological processing, language development, apraxia, articulation, literacy, voice, and assistive technology for enrolled students.
• Parent and Professional Training Support, mentoring, and training services for parents and professionals to help them learn effective strategies for supporting children with learning differences, delivered by CHILD staff at the campus.
• Campus Tours Scheduled tours of the CHILD campus allowing prospective families to meet with Program Management, observe classrooms, therapy rooms, and other program elements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students typically transition back to their home school districts within 1-3 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bellevue Arts MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hosting CHILD student art exhibition 'Shadow+Light' in the Community Education Gallery from September-December 2013, celebrating student creativity and providing public recognition.
• iGiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline shopping service where CHILD participates as a nonprofit beneficiary. Shoppers can support CHILD by making purchases through the iGive portal at no additional cost.
• Washington State Board of EducationcoreOthersState regulatory body that annually approves CHILD as a Private School, indicating the school has met minimum requirements for health, safety, and educational programs.
• Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)coreOthersState agency that has approved CHILD as a Non-Public Agency since 1980 to provide contracted therapeutic services to students from public school districts.
• Referencing School DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUp to 31 school districts in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties refer students to CHILD when their resources cannot adequately serve the complex needs of struggling children.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• May Institute: National nonprofit operating special education schools, day programs, and ABA/therapeutic services for children with autism and developmental disabilities. Comparable as a multi-site therapeutic special-education provider with similar CPS-adjacent philosophies.
• New England Center for Children: Massachusetts-based nonprofit special education school and autism research center serving students with autism and developmental disabilities. Comparable as a tuition-funded therapeutic day school with research-backed methodology.
• Ryther: Seattle-based nonprofit providing therapeutic mental health and special education services for children and adolescents. Comparable as a regional nonprofit offering integrated therapy and school-based services for special-needs youth.
• Kindering Center: Bellevue, WA-based nonprofit providing early intervention and therapy services for children with developmental delays and special needs. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and therapy-driven service model.
• Boyer Children's Clinic: Seattle-area nonprofit providing therapy, mental health, and developmental services to children with special needs. Directly comparable as a Puget Sound region pediatric therapy and special-needs services provider serving similar referral-driven populations.
• Monarch School (Monarch Center for Autism): Specialized schools and therapy programs serving students with autism and developmental disabilities in Ohio. Comparable as a therapeutic day school combining academics, OT, and SLP for special-needs populations.

Emerging players

• Brightmont Academy: Private school network offering individualized one-on-one instruction for students with learning differences, ADHD, and anxiety. Comparable in serving students who have struggled in traditional classroom settings with small-group/specialized instruction.
• PHASE 4 Learning Center: Regional private school for students with learning disabilities and social-emotional challenges. Comparable as a small-capacity, mission-driven special-education day school with therapy integration.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins School for the Blind: Historic Massachusetts-based nonprofit operating special education schools and outreach programs for students with disabilities and visual impairments. Comparable as a long-tenured, established therapeutic special-education nonprofit.
• Seattle Children's Hospital Autism Center: Major pediatric hospital system offering diagnostic, therapeutic, and school-support services for children with autism and developmental disorders in the same Puget Sound region. Comparable as a regional clinical referral source and complementary service provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChildrensInstitute
• Xx.com/thechildway

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 CHILD