Cardinal Services

What Cardinal Services does

Cardinal Services is a Warsaw, Indiana-based nonprofit social services organization founded in 1954, operating as a subsidiary of Easterseals Community Network since 2021. With approximately 380 employees, it serves nearly 6,500 individuals annually across 11 Indiana counties through an integrated portfolio spanning disability supports (behavior consulting, day services including RedBird Art Studio and Beyond Boundaries, community living, residential group homes, and employment services), children and family programs (Head Start, Early Head Start, Healthy Families home visitation, and WIC nutrition), transportation via the Kosciusko Area Bus Service (KABS), and a recently established On-Site Clinic and Call Center. The organization participated in launching Indiana Autism Connections in April 2026 with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Indiana and RepuCare, initially serving 150 families.

The business model is a hybrid of federal and state government contracts (Head Start, Early Head Start, Medicaid waivers for disability services, Medicaid/Medicare transportation), foundation grants from Kosciusko County Community Foundation, Don Wood Foundation, 1st Source Foundation, K21 Health Foundation, and others, individual donations through the Investing in People Society, and modest transportation fares (KABS charges $1-5 per ride plus monthly passes). Most disability and early childhood services are provided at no cost to eligible recipients, with the organization functioning as a pass-through for government and philanthropic funding. Leadership is provided by Executive Director Marcie Arndt, with parent-organization executives including CEO Donna Elbrecht, COO Thomas Summerville, CFO Lichelle Boyd, and Chief Community Impact Officer Vickie Lootens overseeing strategy. The board includes representatives from Kosciusko County anchor institutions (Parkview Health, Zimmer Biomet, OrthoWorx, Crossroads Bank, First Federal Savings Bank), reflecting deep local integration.

The technology stack is intentionally light: Cardinal Services does not operate proprietary platforms, instead relying on the Passio GO transit application for KABS real-time bus tracking, standard Medicaid/Medicare billing infrastructure through Verida and WellTrans, and conventional case management tools. Service delivery is fundamentally person-to-person, executed through direct support professionals, case managers, home visitors, teachers, and transportation drivers rather than digital platforms. Recent expansions (autism care coordination, on-site clinic, multi-county service reach) reflect incremental growth within a stable human services framework rather than a technology-driven scaling strategy.

Name

Cardinal Services

Legal name

Cardinal Services, Inc.

Website

https://cardinalservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cardinal Services is a Warsaw, Indiana-based nonprofit founded in 1954 that provides disability supports, early childhood education, employment services, public transportation (KABS), and primary care to nearly 6,500 individuals annually across 11 Indiana counties, operating as a subsidiary of Easterseals Community Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Community Human Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Early childhood education
• Community living services
• Workforce development services
• Public transportation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Warsaw

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. Government Grants and Contracts: Federally funded programs including Head Start, Early Head Start (federally funded early childhood education), Medicaid waiver services for individuals with disabilities, and other government contracts
2. Program Service Fees: Fees for transportation services (KABS), including on-demand fares ($3-5), fixed route ($1), and monthly passes
3. Foundation Grants: Funding from community foundations including Kosciusko County Community Foundation, Don Wood Foundation, and other regional foundations
4. Individual Donations: Donations from individuals, including the Investing in People Society recurring giving program
5. Medicaid/Medicare Transportation: Transportation services for Medicaid and Medicare eligible passengers arranged through Verida and WellTrans

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cardinal Services is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit that delivers person-centered disability services (day services, residential and community living supports, employment services, case management, and ABA therapy), early childhood and family programs (Early Head Start, Head Start, Healthy Families, WIC, and Early Intervention/First Steps), the KABS public bus system across nine counties in north-central Indiana, and credentialed workforce training (CNA and QMA). Programs are funded through Medicaid, state and federal contracts, foundation grants, individual donations, and rider fares.

Product overview

Cardinal Services is a social services organization offering a diverse portfolio of programs and services rather than a unified technology product. The organization provides disability support services including Behavior Consulting, Day Services (with RedBird Art Studio and Beyond Boundaries), Community Living, and Residential Living; employment services through Career Links, Opportunity Labs, Certified Nurse Aide Training, Pre-Employment Transition Services, and Services for Employers; children and family services including Early Head Start, Head Start, Healthy Families, and WIC Program; transportation via Kosciusko Area Bus Service (KABS); and healthcare services through an On-Site Clinic and Call Center. The company also operates Camp New Horizons for children with disabilities and participates in Indiana Autism Connections care coordination. The programs are person-centered and designed to support individuals with disabilities, children, and families in living their best lives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KABS (Kosciusko Area Bus Service): Public transportation service operated by Cardinal Services serving Kosciusko County
• RedBird Art Studio
• Beyond Boundaries
• Opportunity Labs
• Camp New Horizons

Products and services

• Disability Day Services
• Residential and Community Living Services
• Employment Services
• Case Management
• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy
• Early Head Start and Head Start
• Healthy Families Program
• WIC Program
• Early Intervention (First Steps)
• KABS Public Bus Service
• CNA and QMA Training
• Services for Employers

Quantifiable outcome

• 447 people with disabilities pursuing workplace success
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of IndianaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026Partnership with Anthem and RepuCare to launch Indiana Autism Connections, an innovative care coordination program serving children and adolescents on the autism spectrum. Initially serving 150 families with Anthem Medicaid coverage in Allen and Kosciusko counties.
• RepuCareflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026Partnership with Anthem and Easterseals Community Network for Indiana Autism Connections care coordination program for families affected by autism.
• Easterseals Community NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Easterseals Community Network is the parent organization providing executive leadership, strategic guidance and administrative functions for Cardinal Services as well as Easterseals Northeast Indiana and Easterseals Northwest Ohio. This strategic alignment enhanced Cardinal's capacity to serve the community.
• Trine UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Pre-Manufacturing Academy through Opportunity Labs. Trine University provides hands-on, interactive program to prepare individuals for careers in advanced manufacturing.
• Area School DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with schools in Carroll, Cass, Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, Marshall, Pulaski, Starke, and White counties for Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) helping students with disabilities prepare for life after high school.
• The Milk BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKosciusko County WIC Program is a Milk Depot for The Milk Bank, accepting pasteurized donor human milk donations for premature infants in NICUs.
• Junior AchievementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for JA JobSpark interactive career exploration events where Pre-ETS students learn about careers through hands-on activities in skilled trades, healthcare, finance, and technology.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Easterseals Northeast Indiana: Sibling affiliate under the Easterseals Community Network parent organization, providing similar disability, employment, and family services in the Fort Wayne / Allen County region of Indiana. Operates under the same executive leadership and shares back-office functions with Cardinal Services.
• Easterseals Northwest Ohio: Sibling affiliate under Easterseals Community Network delivering disability, senior, and veteran services in Northwest Ohio. Directly comparable multi-service nonprofit structure, with shared executive leadership and administrative back-office with Cardinal Services.
• Goodwill Industries of Michiana: Regional Goodwill affiliate serving northern Indiana with mission-driven employment services, disability programs, and retail-based workforce training. Direct peer in providing customized employment and disability supports in overlapping Indiana service territory.
• Aspire Indiana: Indiana-based nonprofit providing behavioral health, addiction, primary care, and intellectual/developmental disability services. Comparable multi-service nonprofit serving overlapping populations with a similar mix of Medicaid-funded programming and person-centered care.

Broad incumbents

• The Arc of Indiana: Statewide advocacy and direct-service organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Operates as both an advocacy body and direct provider in Indiana, overlapping with Cardinal Services' community living, employment, and family support offerings.
• BrightSpring Health Services: Large publicly traded provider of home and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Medicaid waiver services, employment supports, and behavioral health. Operates a scaled technology-enabled platform that competes for payer contracts and direct support professionals regionally.
• Sevita Health: National provider (formerly The MENTOR Network) of home and community-based specialty health services, including IDD services, autism care coordination, and behavioral health. Directly comparable to Cardinal Services in autism care coordination (Indiana Autism Connections partner RepuCare) and waiver-funded IDD services.
• RHA Health Services: Multi-state nonprofit provider of behavioral health, intellectual and developmental disability, and substance use services. Operates group homes, community living, and employment services across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, comparable in operating model to Cardinal Services' residential and employment lines.

Regional players

• Volunteers of America Indiana: Indiana affiliate of Volunteers of America providing housing, behavioral health, child welfare, and disability services across the state. Comparable multi-service nonprofit model with federal/state funding mix and person-centered programming.

Others

• Lutheran Services in America: National network of 300+ Lutheran social service organizations providing disability, aging, family, and community services. Comparable multi-service faith-based nonprofit model with federal/state funding mix, though more of an enabling network than direct operating peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cardinalservicesinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cardinal-services-inc.-of-indiana
• Instagraminstagram.com/cardinalservices

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 Cardinal Services