Gateway

What Gateway does

Gateway, legally Gateway Family Solutions, is a Birmingham, Alabama-based nonprofit organization founded in 1891 as the city's original orphanage and now operating as Alabama's longest-running child and family services agency. The organization delivers a portfolio of trauma-informed clinical and child welfare services across 41 Alabama counties, organized into two interconnected service lines: Family Counseling (Go2U School-Based Counseling, Intensive In-Home Services) and Foster Care (Therapeutic Foster Care, Foster Parent Training, Independent Living Program). Its core customers are at-risk families and children referred by the Alabama Department of Human Resources, children in the state's foster care system, foster youth ages 17-21 transitioning to adulthood, and students needing school-embedded mental health services; prospective and current foster parents are recruited and trained through free 6- to 11-week courses.

The organization is staffed by clinically licensed professionals (MSWs, LCSWs, LPCs) trained in Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and Trauma Systems Therapy, and is accredited by The Joint Commission. Reported outcomes include a 95% family preservation rate in IIHS, ILP high school graduation/GED attainment of 95% versus a 55% national benchmark, and ILP employment of 69% at age 19 versus 35% nationally. No proprietary technology platform underpins delivery; the model is a service-delivery organization with operational tools including Microsoft Teams, an online interest form, and standard donation infrastructure.

Revenue is generated entirely through government contracts (predominantly Alabama DHR, plus other state and federal pass-through), a $1.15M+ annual partnership with United Way of Central Alabama, private foundation grants (Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham), and individual donations. All services are provided free of charge to end clients, and Gateway is governed by an independent Board of Directors under President & CEO Kate O'Day, LCSW, who has led the organization since 2017.

Name

Gateway

Legal name

Gateway Family Solutions

Website

https://gway.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Gateway is a Birmingham, Alabama-based nonprofit founded in 1891 that provides trauma-informed foster care, family counseling, in-home services, school-based mental health therapy, and independent living programs across 41 Alabama counties, serving at-risk children, families, and foster youth at no cost.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare and Behavioral Health Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Transition Services (Secondary to Postsecondary/Employment, Life Skills) (EDAJAKAG)

Keywords

• Foster care services
• Family counseling
• Mental health therapy
• Child welfare services
• Therapeutic foster care

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: Gateway is primarily funded through local, state, and federal government contracts with Alabama's Department of Human Resources and other public agencies.
2. United Way of Central Alabama: Gateway received more than $1.15 million from the United Way of Central Alabama, representing a major recurring funding partnership.
3. Private Grants: Gateway receives funding from private foundations including the Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, and the State of Alabama's COVID-19 Nonprofit Assistance Fund.
4. Individual Contributions and Donations: Gateway raises funds through individual donations, online donation portals, and annual appeals, particularly for COVID-19 crisis response and general operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gateway is a nonprofit child and family services agency that delivers foster care, family counseling, and behavioral health services to Alabama children, families, and communities. Its core offerings include Therapeutic Foster Care, Intensive In-Home Services (IIHS), Go2U School-Based Counseling, Foster Parent Training, and an Independent Living Program (ILP) for transitioning foster youth. All services are provided free of charge to clients and are funded through government contracts, United Way grants, private foundation grants, and individual donations.

Product overview

Gateway is a human services organization offering child welfare and behavioral health services. The portfolio consists of two interconnected service lines: Family Counseling (mental health services including Go2U School-Based Counseling and Intensive In-Home Services) and Foster Care (Therapeutic Foster Care, Foster Parent Training, and Independent Living Program). These services work together as a coordinated system, with mental health therapy supporting family preservation while foster care services help children find permanent families or transition to independent adulthood. Rather than a software platform architecture, Gateway operates as a service delivery organization with multiple program offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Go2U School-Based Counseling: School-based mental health counseling program providing evidence-based therapy to students in local schools since 2001.
• Intensive In-Home Services (IIHS)
• Therapeutic Foster Care
• Independent Living Program (ILP)

Products and services

• Therapeutic Foster Care Specialized foster care service using trauma-informed approaches, including Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and 24/7 clinical support, caring for children with emotional and behavioral needs resulting from family trauma, neglect, or abuse.
• Intensive In-Home Services (IIHS) In-home mental health therapy provided by trained therapists using an evidence-based curriculum, teaching families essential life skills and parenting techniques to help families become independent, safe, and positive households. Operates in 41 Alabama counties with a 95% success rate keeping families together.
• Go2U School-Based Counseling Evidence-based mental health therapy provided directly to students in their local schools by full-time Gateway therapists, working with school officials, counselors, teachers, and parents to identify and treat mental health needs.
• Independent Living Program (ILP) Program for foster youth ages 17-21 living in agency-leased apartments, teaching essential life skills including budgeting, job searching, housekeeping, cooking, building healthy relationships, and parenting to help them transition successfully into adulthood.
• Foster Parent Training Training program for prospective foster parents offering both group classes (11 weeks) and one-on-one in-home or online training (6 weeks), covering all state requirements to become a licensed foster parent in Alabama, free of charge.
• Family Counseling Behavioral health services based in brain science that result in game-changing outcomes for Alabama children, families, and communities, focused on improving family health, healing trauma, and providing proven behavioral interventions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of ILP clients earned their high school diploma or GED vs. 55% nationally
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 and minor.

• Child Welfare League of America (CWLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGateway's CEO Kate O'Day co-edited CWLA's publication 'Becoming the Change We Seek: Stories from CEOs in the Voluntary Sector.' Gateway is actively featured and published by CWLA, a leading child welfare advocacy organization.
• UAB Medicine / Dr. Michael SaagcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Michael Saag, an internationally known infectious disease expert at UAB Medicine, provides Gateway with monthly COVID-19 updates, medical guidance, and educational presentations shared with the Birmingham community via the Birmingham Rotary Club.
• Alabama Department of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGateway follows guidance and recommendations from the Alabama Department of Public Health for COVID-19 response and public health protocols.
• Jefferson County Department of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGateway follows Jefferson County Department of Health guidelines and ordinances. Gateway foster parent Ms. Maraldine Hill also worked for the Jefferson County Department of Health administering COVID-19 vaccines.
• Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHR is Gateway's primary referral partner, referring at-risk families and children to Gateway across 41 Alabama counties. Gateway helps DHR reach its permanency goals and protect children from abuse and neglect. Gateway works with DHR county offices including Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, Calhoun, Madison, Montgomery, and 35 others.
• Rotary Club of BirminghamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Rotary Club of Birmingham hosts Dr. Michael Saag's monthly COVID-19 presentations, which Gateway shares with the community as part of its public health information efforts.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KVC Health Systems: Mid-sized multi-service child welfare nonprofit operating foster care, family preservation, and behavioral health across multiple states. Closely comparable to Gateway's integrated IIHS / Therapeutic Foster Care / ILP service mix at similar regional scale.
• Pressley Ridge: Child and family services nonprofit providing foster care, residential treatment, and family preservation across multiple states. Comparable trauma-informed service model and multi-county delivery footprint.
• Cornerstones of Care: Mid-sized child welfare nonprofit offering foster care, family services, and behavioral health. Comparable regional scale and integrated family counseling / foster care structure to Gateway.
• Children's Home & Aid: Regional child welfare nonprofit delivering foster care, family services, and adoption support. Closely comparable mission and integrated family counseling / foster care model at similar scale.
• National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP): Multi-state nonprofit providing foster care, independent living, and family preservation services. Directly comparable service portfolio to Gateway, with similar emphasis on transition-age youth outcomes.
• KidsPeace: National nonprofit operating residential treatment, foster care, and behavioral health programs. Comparable integrated child welfare / mental health service mix with similar family preservation focus.
• Methodist Home for Children (Alabama): Alabama-based child welfare nonprofit providing foster care, residential, and family services. Most direct geographic peer to Gateway, competing for the same DHR referral pool in the state.

Broad incumbents

• Lutheran Services in America: National network of faith-based child welfare, behavioral health, and family services providers. Comparable mission scope across foster care and family services but at aggregated national scale.
• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Large national behavioral health nonprofit operating foster care, residential, and community-based services. Comparable trauma-informed care positioning but at meaningfully greater scale than Gateway.
• Boys Town: Large national child welfare organization with deep brand recognition, foster care, family services, and residential programs. Overlaps Gateway's service categories but at significantly larger scale and multi-state footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gatewayfamilies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/973285/admin
• Xx.com/gatewayfamilies

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Gateway