A World For Children

What A World For Children does

A World For Children (AWFC) is a Texas-licensed, 501(c)(3) nonprofit child-placing agency founded in April 1997 in Round Rock, Texas, by Paul and Sharon Willis and Rebecca Allen. The agency provides temporary foster care, therapeutic foster care, primary medical needs foster care, and foster-to-adopt services for abused, neglected, and mistreated children referred through the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). AWFC is contracted with and licensed by the State of Texas to serve the entire state and operates 11 regional offices spanning Amarillo, Brownwood, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, McAllen, Round Rock, San Antonio, Tyler, and Wichita Falls, each staffed by a Regional Program Director and case management teams that provide 24/7 support, training, and wraparound services to licensed foster families.

AWFC's service architecture is organized around a small core product set — Foster Care Services, Therapeutic Foster Care, Primary Medical Needs Foster Homes, and Foster-to-Adopt Care — augmented by several differentiated support programs. The Bridging the Gap program provides unit-priced donor-funded experiences (Jumpstart Funds at $150 per child, Summer Adventure at Fiesta Texas, Back-to-School support at $100/$50, Christmas Experience at $125, and LAUNCH Camp sponsorship at $400 per teen). LAUNCH Camp is a 4-day, 3-night structured program for teens aging out of foster care, covering life skills, financial literacy, and career exposure. Pre-service training is delivered via Zoom-based webinars combined with DFPS online courses and in-person CPR/First Aid certification. STAR Health coordination connects foster children to the state Medicaid managed care program.

AWFC's revenue is primarily derived from per-child and administrative payments from the Texas DFPS, supplemented by individual donations, community contributions, and corporate partnerships (Walmart gift cards, Fiesta Texas venue hosting) that fund the Bridging the Gap program. The agency's go-to-market is community-led: local outreach, orientations, word-of-mouth referrals, and 11 localized Facebook pages drive foster parent recruitment, while the central website (awfc.org), Instagram, and YouTube channels support brand and donor engagement. Leadership is headed by Executive Director Ashleigh Wilkes (appointed 2015, with the agency since 2010) and a long-tenured statewide management team.

Name

A World For Children

Legal name

A World For Children

Website

https://awfc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

A World For Children is a Texas-licensed 501(c)(3) nonprofit foster care and adoption agency, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Round Rock, that contracts with the Texas DFPS to deliver foster, therapeutic, primary medical needs, and foster-to-adopt services statewide through 11 regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foster Care and Adoption Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

Keywords

• Foster care services
• Foster-to-adopt programs
• Child welfare services
• Therapeutic foster care
• Foster parent training

Headquarters

HQ city

Mcallen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: AWFC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded in part by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). These funds provide for children's basic needs including shelter, food, clothing, and therapeutic services.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donors, community organizations, and local communities contribute to AWFC's Bridging the Gap program which funds special experiences for foster children including summer adventures, Christmas gifts, back-to-school supplies, and LAUNCH Camp.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

A World For Children is a Texas-licensed, nonprofit child placing agency that recruits, trains, certifies, and supports foster families across the state. It provides temporary foster placement, therapeutic foster care, primary medical needs foster homes, and foster-to-adopt transition services for abused and neglected children, funded primarily through DFPS contracts and individual donations.

Product overview

A World For Children operates as a single integrated foster care and adoption service offering rather than a platform architecture. The core offering consists of foster care placement services with multiple specialized care tracks including therapeutic foster care and primary medical needs homes. Supporting the core services are program modules including the Bridging the Gap program (providing jumpstart funds, summer adventures, back-to-school support, and Christmas celebrations), LAUNCH Camp (a teen preparation program), Pre-Service Training for foster parents, STAR Health coordination for medical services, and foster-to-adopt transition services. These programs work together to provide comprehensive support for abused and neglected children while supporting foster families throughout the placement process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bridging the Gap Program: A program designed to help meet the needs of foster children that often go overlooked, providing back to school necessities, jumpstart funds, summer recreation funds, birthday gifts, Christmas experiences, and LAUNCH camp opportunities.
• LAUNCH Camp

Products and services

• Foster Care Services Temporary placement services for abused and neglected children, providing shelter, food, clothing, and therapeutic support in nurturing foster family environments until permanence is achieved through reunification or adoption. Services are provided to children referred by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
• Foster-to-Adopt Care Adoption facilitation for children in AWFC foster homes who cannot be reunified with biological families, allowing established foster family bonds to continue permanently. Families seeking private adoption are referred to AWFC's sister agency, the Texas Adoption Center.
• Bridging the Gap Program Comprehensive donor-funded support program providing Jumpstart Funds ($150 per child upon placement), Summer Adventure at Fiesta Texas, Back to School assistance ($100 clothes, $50 supplies), Christmas celebrations ($50 gift plus $50 Walmart gift card), and LAUNCH Camp teen sponsorship. Aims to meet needs of foster children that often go overlooked.
• LAUNCH Camp Four-day, three-night summer camp for teens aging out of the Texas foster care system. The program features a career fair, financial literacy training, team-building activities, and life skills preparation to support transition to adulthood. Sponsor commitment is $400 per teen.
• Therapeutic Foster Care Specialized foster care services for children in DFPS custody who require behavioral health support and treatment interventions beyond standard foster care, with wrap-around therapeutic services.
• Primary Medical Needs Foster Homes Specialized foster care placements in the Dallas region (Region 3) for children with significant medical conditions requiring dedicated healthcare support, monitoring, and specialized caregiver training.
• Pre-Service Foster Parent Training Program Mandatory training program that combines AWFC-hosted webinars, Texas DFPS online courses, and in-person CPR/First Aid certification to prepare prospective foster parents for licensure, with ongoing annual training requirements delivered via webinar and online platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average 3-month process to become licensed foster parent
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)coreOthersAWFC is contracted with and licensed by the State of Texas through DFPS to provide foster and foster-to-adopt services across the entire state. DFPS funding supports children's basic needs including shelter, food, clothing, and therapeutic services.
• Texas Adoption CenterflagshipOthersA sister organization to AWFC that handles private adoption services. AWFC refers interested families seeking private adoption to Texas Adoption Center (texasadoptioncenter.org).
• Local Communities (Texas)coreOthersAWFC partners with local communities across Texas to support foster children through donations, volunteering, hosting events (Christmas parties, back-to-school events), and providing respite care. Communities help fund the Bridging the Gap program.
• Fiesta Texas (Six Flags)minorOthersAWFC hosts its Summer Adventure program at Fiesta Texas theme park, providing foster children with memorable experiences including first trips outside their towns, first hotel stays, and first pool experiences.
• Young Women and Men of DestinyminorOthersChristian mentoring organization where Douglas Wilson, AWFC Finance Director, volunteers his time.
• WalmartminorOthersAWFC provides $50 Walmart gift cards to each child in care for Christmas through their Bridging the Gap program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Arrow Child & Family Ministries: Texas-based nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, and family preservation services. Directly comparable to AWFC as a single-state child placing agency serving DFPS-referred children with community-based placement models.
• TFI Family Services: Texas-headquartered nonprofit offering foster care, adoption, and family preservation statewide. Closely comparable to AWFC's service model, DFPS contracting, and geographic focus across multiple Texas regions.
• Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services: Faith-based nonprofit operating foster care, adoption, and family services primarily in Texas and Missouri. Comparable to AWFC's DFPS-licensed foster and foster-to-adopt service model and Christian organizational identity.

Broad incumbents

• Sevita Health (formerly Texas Mentor / The MENTOR Network): Large multi-state provider of foster care and home-based services with significant Texas operations through the legacy Texas Mentor network. Overlaps with AWFC's therapeutic foster care and intellectually/developmentally disabled population focus but operates at substantially larger scale nationally.
• National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP): National nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, and home-based services across multiple states including Texas. Comparable to AWFC in service model and target population but with materially broader geographic and program scale.
• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: National nonprofit operating therapeutic foster care, residential treatment, and behavioral health services with Texas operations. Comparable to AWFC's Therapeutic Foster Care and PMN tracks but operates as a broader behavioral health platform.
• KVC Health Systems: National nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, and child welfare services. Comparable to AWFC's placement and case management model but operates across multiple states with significantly larger annual placement volumes.
• Boys Town: National nonprofit providing foster family services, residential care, and family support with Texas operations. Comparable to AWFC's foster parent training and 24/7 support model, though Boys Town also operates its own residential facilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCE2xwdzE_8C8_zCzF9ug6Rg
• Facebookfacebook.com/awfchome
• Instagraminstagram.com/awfctexas
• Xx.com/awfc1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

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 A World For Children