River Bend Head Start & Family Services

What River Bend Head Start & Family Services does

Riverbend Head Start & Family Services (RHSFS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Alton, Illinois, that has delivered early childhood education and family support services to income-eligible families in Madison County since 1916 (originally as the Alton Public Welfare Council). The organization operates six Head Start and Early Head Start centers across Alton, Bethalto, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Granite City North, and Granite City South, serving between 759 and over 2,000 children and family members annually through a mix of part-day and full-day, center-based and home-based program models for children ages birth to five and expectant mothers.

RHSFS offers four core program tracks — Head Start Part-Day, Head Start Full-Day, Head Start Home-Based, and Early Head Start Home-Based — supported by four integrated service modules: Child Development, Family Support, Health and Nutrition, and Parent Involvement. All services are provided free of charge to qualifying families, and supplementary programs include dental care (funded by Delta Dental of Illinois), mental health support (sliding-fee scale via United Way membership since 1987), adult education (GED), and transportation assistance. The organization holds ExceleRate Illinois Gold Circle of Quality designation at all six centers and BBB Accredited Charity status.

The organization is primarily funded by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Head Start (Grant Number 05CH011888), supplemented by Illinois State Board of Education Preschool for All Expansion funding and a diversified base of corporate sponsorships (40+ partners), individual donations, planned giving, major gifts (1916 Pillar Society), and annual fundraising events (Circle of Care Gala). With 51–100 employees and a leadership team headed by President and CEO Gene Howell (appointed December 2017), RHSFS delivers approximately 759 funded enrollment slots annually with operating funding on the order of several million dollars, governed by an independent Board of Directors.

Name

River Bend Head Start & Family Services

Legal name

Riverbend Head Start & Family Services

Website

https://riverbendfamilies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Riverbend Head Start & Family Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating six Head Start and Early Head Start centers across Madison County, Illinois, providing free center-based and home-based early childhood education and family support services to income-eligible families with children ages birth to five.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs (EDACAGAH), Home Visiting & Parent Coaching Programs (EDACALAC), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Family support services
• Head start programs
• Child development services
• Preschool education

Headquarters

HQ city

Alton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Head Start Grant: Primarily funded by grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families. Grant Number 05CH011888 from the Office of Head Start.
2. Illinois State Board of Education Funding: Blended Head Start and Illinois State Board of Education funds through Preschool for All Expansion funding to provide full-day, full-year services to children.
3. Community Donations and Fundraising: The organization raises funds through annual Circle of Care fundraiser (raised over $76,000 at 25th anniversary event), corporate sponsorships, major giving (1916 Pillar Society), planned giving, and individual donations.
4. United Way Support: Became a United Way member agency in 1987 to provide mental health services on a sliding-fee scale.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

River Bend Head Start & Family Services operates federally-funded Head Start and Early Head Start programs providing free early childhood education and family support services to income-eligible families with children ages birth through five. Services are delivered across six center-based locations in Madison County, Illinois, supplemented by a home-based option and integrated child development, health/nutrition, family support, and parent involvement modules.

Product overview

Riverbend Head Start & Family Services is a non-profit early childhood education organization operating six Head Start and Early Head Start centers across Madison County, Illinois. The organization offers a two-generational approach through four distinct program models: Head Start Part-Day (9-month, ages 3-5), Head Start Full Day (12-month, ages 3-5), Head Start Home-Based (12-month, ages 3-5), and Early Head Start Home-Based (12-month, expectant mothers and birth to 2). These core programs are supported by four integrated service modules—Child Development, Family Support, Health and Nutrition, and Parent Involvement—that work together to provide comprehensive education and family empowerment services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves over 2,000 children and family members annually across Madison County, Illinois
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and support.

• Associated Pediatric DentistrycoreOthersCommunity partner providing dental screenings, treatments, and surgeries for Head Start children. Located in Belleville and Glen Carbon, IL.
• Riverbend Pediatric DentistrycoreOthersCommunity partner providing dental services for Head Start children in Madison County.
• OSF Saint Anthony'scoreOthersHealthcare partner providing medical services and support, including hosting the Business Health Award program that recognized Riverbend Head Start.
• Piasa Palisades Group of the Sierra ClubsupportStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrongly advocated for Riverbend Head Start during the grant approval process. Collaborating on plans for educational workshop on air quality and energy efficiency during the 2016-17 school year.
• Madison County Health DepartmentcoreOthersCommunity health partner providing health services and coordination for Head Start families.
• Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)coreOthersState government partner providing services and referrals for Head Start families at locations in Madison County.
• Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)coreOthersState government partner for families involved with child welfare. RHSFS provides services for children in DCFS care.
• Madison County Housing AuthoritysupportOthersHousing partner providing resources and support for families in need of housing assistance.
• Oasis Women SheltersupportOthersShelter partner providing support services for families experiencing domestic violence or homelessness.
• WIC OfficesupportOthersWomen, Infants and Children program partner providing nutrition services for pregnant women and young children.
• Lewis and Clark Community CollegesupportOthersEducational partner providing adult education services and catering for agency events.
• School Districts (Alton, Bethalto, Granite City, Collinsville, Edwardsville, and others)coreOthersPartnerships with multiple school districts across Madison County for kindergarten readiness and educational coordination.
• Boys & Girls Club of AltonsupportOthersYouth services partner providing after-school and summer programs for children.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Lewis and Clark Community College (Head Start Collaboration): Regional community college partnering with Riverbend Head Start on adult education (GED) and catering for events. Comparable as a local education-and-workforce peer enabling adult education services for Head Start parents.
• Crisis Food Center (Alton, IL): Local Madison County food pantry and emergency assistance nonprofit that receives food donations from Riverbend Head Start. Comparable as a regional social services peer organization addressing food insecurity for low-income families in the same service area.

Broad incumbents

• Start Early (formerly Ounce of Prevention Fund): Illinois-based nonprofit focused on early childhood education from birth through age five, including direct Head Start/Early Head Start programming. Comparable as a peer Head Start grantee and policy/advocacy organization operating in the same state and federal funding environment.

Direct peers

• Children's Home & Aid: Illinois-based nonprofit providing early childhood, family support, and child welfare services across the state, including Head Start programming. Comparable as a multi-site Head Start grantee with similar two-generational family support model in Illinois.
• Illinois Action for Children: Chicago-based nonprofit providing early childhood education, child care resource and referral, and family support services across Illinois. Comparable as a state-level child care and family support organization serving income-eligible families with similar funding mix (state, federal, donations).
• Brightpoint (formerly ChildServ): Illinois-based nonprofit serving children and families through Head Start, Early Head Start, and child welfare programs across multiple counties. Comparable as a multi-site Head Start grantee with similar federal funding model and family support service mix.
• Madison County Community Action Agency: Local community action agency serving Madison County low-income residents with Head Start, energy assistance, weatherization, and family support services. Direct Head Start peer competing for similar federal grantee slots and serving overlapping client populations in the same county.

Regional players

• YWCA of Southwestern Illinois: Regional YWCA serving the Metro East / Riverbend region of southwestern Illinois (Alton, Granite City, Belleville area), with early childhood education and family support programs. Comparable as a regional child and family services provider operating in the same geographic footprint.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis (Metro East): Faith-based nonprofit providing early childhood, family counseling, and social services across the Metro East Illinois region including Madison County. Comparable as a regional child and family services provider serving overlapping low-income populations in adjacent geography.
• Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center: Regional behavioral health and social services organization serving the Metro East Illinois / St. Louis region with mental health, substance use, and child/family services. Comparable as a regional social services peer with overlap in family mental health and DCFS-referred services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQDA-fc3CYFoZl2O6EHa8SQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/RiverbendHeadStartandFamilyServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/riverbendheadstartandfamilyservices
• Instagraminstagram.com/riverbendheadstart
• Xx.com/riverbendHSFS

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about River Bend Head Start & Family Services