What Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition does

Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social-services organization founded in 1989 and headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri. It operates an integrated portfolio of 28 programs that recruit, train, license, and support foster, adoptive, kinship, and guardianship families across seven counties in the greater St. Louis region. The Coalition has served more than 170,750 clients cumulatively, and in 2024 alone supported the licensing of 940 new kinship and foster parents and granted 4,667 Little Wishes. Core service categories include caregiver recruitment and licensing, child-specific recruitment, an Older Youth Readiness program for ages 13–24, material supports (Birthday Buddies, Little Wishes, Project Dream Dress, Back-to-School Bonanza, Clothing Allowance Access), therapeutic and educational services (Family Works, Educational Advocacy, Comprehensive Systems Navigation, Respite Care), and a nonprofit resale store (ReFresh).

The Coalition's principal proprietary assets are two trademarked, evidence-informed models—30 Days to Family® and Extreme Recruitment®—the former rated 'Promising Research Evidence' and designated 'High Child Welfare System Relevance' by the California Evidence Based Clearinghouse. Replication, training, and licensing are executed through The Institute for Child Welfare Innovation, an operating subsidiary serving 20+ agencies and 6,250+ professionals across 35 U.S. states and Ontario, Canada. The Institute licenses the 30 Days to Family® curriculum and trademark via multi-year contracts and delivers the 72-hour Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) program in partnership with C.A.S.E. The Coalition also operates an award-winning media partnership with KSDK 5 On Your Side (A Place to Call Home) and a celebrity-fronted named fund with Sterling K. Brown for older-youth transition services.

The revenue model is hybrid and donation-led: individual and corporate giving, community foundation grants (United Way, ARCHS), corporate sponsorships (Midwest BankCentre, Vantage Credit Union), program replication and training fees from child welfare agencies, earned income from the ReFresh resale store, and in-kind support. All direct programs are delivered free of charge to families. Direct services are concentrated in the St. Louis metro; the Institute provides the national distribution channel for methodology and training.

Name

Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition

Legal name

Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition

Website

https://foster-adopt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition is a Saint Louis-based nonprofit organization founded in 1989 that recruits and supports foster, adoptive, kinship, and guardianship families through 28 programs serving children in the St. Louis region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foster Care and Adoption Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), 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 & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Foster care services
• Adoption services
• Family finding programs
• Caregiver support services
• Child welfare training

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The Coalition relies heavily on individual donations from the community to support programs like Birthday Buddies, Little Wishes, and general operations.
2. Corporate and Community Giving: Corporate sponsors and community partners contribute funding and in-kind support, including partnerships with organizations like Midwest BankCentre and Vantage Credit Union.
3. Program Replication Fees: Child welfare agencies pay fees to replicate the 30 Days to Family® program. The Institute provides over 1,000 hours of support and assistance in the first year of implementation.
4. Training Services: The Institute offers training for adoption competency (TAC), a 72-hour training for mental health professionals. Fees are charged for professional training and coaching services.
5. ReFresh Retail Store: ReFresh is a nonprofit resale store generating revenue through clothing and accessory sales. Every purchase supports youth impacted by foster care.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition is a nonprofit social services organization that recruits, trains, and supports foster, adoptive, kinship, and guardianship families in the St. Louis metropolitan region through 28+ interconnected programs. Core offerings include evidence-based family finding models (30 Days to Family®, Extreme Recruitment®), caregiver recruitment and licensing support, material aid (clothing, birthday gifts, prom dresses), specialized therapeutic foster care, and an older youth readiness program for youth ages 13-24. The Institute for Child Welfare Innovation extends the Coalition's reach by licensing and replicating programs nationally.

Product overview

The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition operates as a social services organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of 28+ programs designed to serve children and families in the St. Louis region affected by foster care. The organization functions as a unified service platform with interconnected programs including family recruitment and placement services (30 Days to Family®, Extreme Recruitment®, RESPOND), youth support services (Older Youth Readiness, Birthday Buddies, Little Wishes, Project Dream Dress), caregiver support (Coalition CareLine, Respite Care, Training), and material supports (ReFresh retail store, Clothing Allowance Access, Back-to-School Bonanza). Key programs like The Institute for Child Welfare Innovation also enable national replication and training of the Coalition's evidence-based models.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Institute for Child Welfare Innovation: A program of the Coalition offering training and replication services for child welfare professionals across the country.

Products and services

• 30 Days to Family®
• A Place to Call Home
• Extreme Recruitment®
• RESPOND
• Older Youth Readiness
• Coalition CareLine
• ReFresh
• Birthday Buddies
• Little Wishes
• Project Dream Dress
• Family Connections
• Families United
• Level A | Elevated Needs
• Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC)
• Family Works
• Educational Advocacy
• Comprehensive Systems Navigation
• Clothing Allowance Access
• Respite Care
• Regional Family Support
• The Institute for Child Welfare Innovation
• Back-to-School Bonanza
• Aralean Brown Older Youth Readiness Fund
• Foster Parent Licensing
• Continuing Education for Caregivers

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of children served by 30 Days to Family® were placed with relatives
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United WaycoreOthersMajor community partner supporting the Coalition's mission to find homes for children in foster care. Listed as a key partner in the organization's ecosystem.
• ARCHS (Area Resources for Community and Human Services)coreOthersCommunity partner supporting the Coalition's programs and services. Listed among key organizational partners.
• BFFcoreOthersCommunity partner supporting the Coalition's mission. Listed among key organizational partners.
• CCRB (Community Child Care Referral)minorOthersCommunity partner organization.
• STLCSF (St. Louis Community Service Foundation)minorOthersLocal foundation partner supporting community services.
• MHB (Mental Health Board)minorOthersPartner organization supporting mental health initiatives within the Coalition's programs.
• JCMHF (Jews for the Preservation of Multifamily Housing)minorOthersCommunity organization partner.
• KSDK 5 On Your SidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia partnership featuring children legally free for adoption on the 'A Place to Call Home' television segment. Has helped over 580 children find their forever family. Also partners on Little Wishes Holiday Program to deliver special gifts during the holiday season.
• Vantage Credit UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner in the 'A Place to Call Home' program, helping feature children who are legally free for adoption to TV screens in St. Louis and across the country.
• Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreator of the Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) program, a 72-hour training for mental health professionals. The Coalition offers this training as part of the Institute's professional development offerings.
• Missouri Children's DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding relationship collaborating on day-to-day operations to better serve children and families. Over 1,000 professionals trained in kin-first culture.
• Sterling K. BrowncoreOthersEmmy-award winning actor and St. Louis native who honors his mother Aralean Brown through the Aralean Brown Older Youth Readiness Fund, created in partnership with the Coalition to support youth ages 13-24.
• Jackman's FabricsminorOthersLocal business located across from the Coalition's ReFresh store location.
• JCC (Jewish Community Center)minorOthersLocal organization located across the street from the Coalition's ReFresh store location.

Scale indicators27 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AdoptUSKids: Federally funded project that supports adoption of children in foster care, including photolisting and recruitment. Directly comparable recruitment / adoption-placement mission, but federally resourced and operating nationally without local program replication constraints.
• Child Welfare League of America (CWLA): National membership organization for child welfare agencies providing standards, advocacy, and training. Comparable training / professional-development function to the Coalition's Institute, though positioned at the broader agency-level rather than direct-service level.
• Youth Villages: Large nonprofit providing intensive in-home and residential services for children with emotional and behavioral challenges, including former foster youth. Comparable older-youth services overlap, though much larger operating footprint and more clinical positioning.
• Casey Family Programs: Large private foundation focused on improving foster care nationally, with significant influence on policy and direct operating programs in several states. Comparable to the Coalition in evidence-based permanence focus but at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Covenant House: National nonprofit serving youth experiencing homelessness and trafficking, including those aging out of foster care. Comparable older-youth transition support services and identified overlapping population.

Direct peers

• Comfort Cases: Nonprofit providing suitcases and comfort items to youth entering foster care. Similar nonprofit, donation-funded model with comparable direct-service touchpoints to children in care. Less mature on evidence-based family-finding / kinship recruitment.
• Together We Rise: National nonprofit providing direct material support (beds, suitcases, birthday boxes) and programs to youth in foster care. Highly comparable mission, age, and operating model to the Coalition, although together We Rise lacks the Coalition's evidence-based family-finding model.
• FosterClub: National nonprofit led by and for youth with foster care experience, focused on advocacy, leadership development, and transition support. Comparable in mission and youth-centered program model, though more focused on youth voice than recruitment.
• Raise the Future (formerly ORR): Nonprofit focused on permanency for older youth in foster care through adoption and guardianship recruitment. Highly comparable to the Coalition's Extreme Recruitment® program and Older Youth Readiness offering.

Others

• National Council for Adoption (NCFA): National advocacy and policy organization focused on adoption, including adoption from foster care. Comparable adoption / guardianship policy and professional-training role, but not a direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FosterAdopt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foster-&-adoptive-care-coalition
• Instagraminstagram.com/foster.adopt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition