Child Saving Institute

What Child Saving Institute does

Child Saving Institute (CSI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit human services agency founded in 1892 and headquartered at 4545 Dodge Street, Omaha, Nebraska. It delivers a comprehensive continuum of services for children and families across Nebraska and Southwest Iowa, organized into four program families: (1) Childcare and Education, including two COA-accredited early childhood development centers (A.W. Clark and Spellman), the Lavigne Learning Center, KidSquad, and an 11-week Summer Camp; (2) Mental and Behavioral Health, comprising pediatric and adolescent therapy, medication management, and in-home Behavioral Health Intervention Services; (3) Community-Based Services, including foster care and adoption (with a specialized Homes for Black Children program), the Teen and Young Parent Program, Independent Living Skills, and Domestic Violence Recovery; and (4) Residential Treatment, comprising emergency youth shelters, the Psychiatric Medical Institute for Children (PMIC), and crisis stabilization.

The organization's underlying service model is built on a trauma-informed care framework using evidence-based therapeutic modalities — PCIT, TF-CBT, EMDR, DBT, Play Therapy, Sand-Tray Therapy, and ART — delivered through facility-based, in-home, school-based (SAFE), and telehealth channels. CSI generated $46M for its largest-ever capital expansion (Campaign for Hope, launched December 2022) and employs between 101 and 250 staff across five locations, serving 3,318 Omaha-metro children and families annually. Following the fall 2025 merger with Children's Square, CSI added a Council Bluffs, Iowa campus with emergency shelter, behavioral health clinic, and the Tier 3 Lavigne Learning Center.

Revenue is diversified across fee-for-service billing (Medicaid and private insurance for therapy, medication management, and childcare tuition), government contracts (Nebraska DHHS, federal Childcare and Development Block Grant awards), institutional partnerships with Omaha Public Schools, Council Bluffs Public Schools, and Region 6 Behavioral Health Care, philanthropic grants (Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative, United Way of the Midlands, Heider Family Foundation), and a calendar of fundraising events. Program economics vary by stream: KidSquad is grant-funded at no cost to families, mental health services bill insurance/Medicaid on a recurring monthly cadence, summer camp is priced at $3,575 for an 11-week all-inclusive enrollment, and childcare tuition is tiered by age on a monthly billing cycle. The organization accepts most major insurance plans plus Medicaid and offers telehealth follow-ups, with bilingual Spanish services.

Name

Child Saving Institute

Legal name

Child Saving Institute

Website

https://childsaving.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Child Saving Institute is a Nebraska-based nonprofit, founded in 1892, providing a comprehensive continuum of childcare, mental health, community-based, and residential treatment services for children and families across Nebraska and Southwest Iowa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Social and Human Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (624410), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Children's social services
• Early childhood education
• Pediatric mental health
• Foster care services
• Residential youth treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Omaha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fee-for-Service Programs: CSI generates revenue through fee-for-service arrangements for childcare, mental health therapy, medication management, and behavioral health intervention services billed to families, insurance, and Medicaid programs.
2. Grants and Donations: The organization receives funding through grants from organizations such as Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative, United Way of the Midlands, and federal awards (Childcare and Development Block Grant), as well as individual donor contributions.
3. Capital Campaigns: CSI conducts capital campaigns such as Campaign for Hope ($46M) to fund facility improvements and expansion, with major donations from foundations like Heider Family Foundation.
4. Government Contracts: Services such as the School & Family Enrichment (SAFE) program are provided through collaborative agreements with Omaha Public Schools and Region 6 Behavioral Health Care. The Lavigne Learning Center is overseen by Council Bluffs Public Schools and approved by the Iowa Department of Education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Child Saving Institute is a nonprofit human services agency that delivers a comprehensive continuum of services for children and families, including early childhood education at two development centers, pediatric and adolescent mental health therapy, behavioral health intervention, foster care and adoption, community-based family support, residential treatment, and emergency youth shelter. Services are provided through facility-based, school-based, in-home, and telehealth channels across Nebraska and Southwest Iowa.

Product overview

Child Saving Institute offers a comprehensive continuum of human services for children and families across Nebraska and Southwest Iowa, organized into four main service categories: Childcare and Education (including Early Childhood Education at two development centers, the Lavigne Learning Center, KidSquad, and Summer Camp); Mental and Behavioral Health (Pediatric and Adolescent Therapy, Medication Management, and Behavioral Health Intervention Services); Community-Based Services (Teen and Young Parent Program, Independent Living Skills, Foster Care, and Domestic Violence Recovery); and Residential Treatment (Emergency Youth Shelters, PMIC, and Crisis Stabilization). These services work together as an integrated system to meet families' changing needs across all life stages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Childhood Education Comprehensive childcare and early education program for children six weeks to six years, providing kindergarten readiness through age-appropriate curricula at two state-of-the-art childcare centers (A.W. Clark and Spellman). Both centers are COA accredited and participate in Nebraska Step Up to Quality.
• Summer Camp Eleven-week summer camp program for children ages 5-10 offering themed activities, field trips, and enrichment at the A.W. Clark Child Development Center. All-inclusive pricing of $3,575 covers activity fees, admissions, transportation, t-shirt, and meals, with an optional $325 add-on week.
• Lavigne Learning Center Herbert J. Lavigne Learning Center is a specialized educational environment for students in grades 1-12 facing significant emotional and behavioral challenges, located on the Children's Square Campus in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Iowa Department of Education-approved program is overseen by Council Bluffs Public Schools.
• KidSquad Support Comprehensive early childhood mental health program that supports children, educators and families through classroom support and individualized on-site therapy services at the child's childcare center. Services are provided at no charge to families through grant funding.
• School & Family Enrichment (SAFE) Collaborative home-based family support program serving children and families from kindergarten through middle school, provided in partnership with Omaha Public Schools and Region 6 Behavioral Health Care. School personnel refer children based on behavioral concerns and attendance issues.
• Pediatric & Adolescent Therapy Licensed therapists providing child and family therapy addressing trauma, conflict, behavioral challenges, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, with bilingual services for Spanish-speaking families. CSI accepts most insurance and Medicaid, with telehealth follow-up options.
• Medication Management Expert psychiatric evaluations and personalized treatment plans provided by an APRN with over 15 years of experience, including medication management for children and teens with immediate openings available.
• Behavioral Health Intervention Services In-home, skills-based interventions providing weekly individual and/or family sessions to help children ages 4-20 and their families develop healthy coping strategies and improve daily functioning.
• Teen & Young Parent Program Community-based support program helping teenage and young parents build skills, strengthen relationships, and navigate challenges while raising children.
• Independent Living Skills & Aftercare Services helping youth develop independent living skills and providing aftercare support for successful transitions to adulthood.
• Foster Care Foster care program connecting children with loving families. The program has grown from 12 foster families to over 100 families. Includes specialized programs such as Homes for Black Children adoption.
• Domestic Violence Recovery & Support Support services for survivors of domestic violence providing family empowerment and recovery resources.
• Emergency Youth Shelters Emergency shelter providing immediate crisis support for children and youth, including Nebraska City Cottage (Kids Cottage) with up to 12 beds for children ages 18 and younger serving 17 counties in Southeast Nebraska, and the Children's Square Campus emergency youth shelter in Council Bluffs.
• Psychiatric Medical Institute for Children (PMIC) Intensive psychiatric medical care for children requiring specialized residential mental health treatment.
• Crisis Stabilization Immediate crisis intervention services providing triage and stabilization support for children and youth in acute situations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of early childhood education students showed readiness on Kindergarten Readiness Assessment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 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.

• Children's SquarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Merger completed in fall 2025, uniting two historic organizations serving Nebraska and Iowa children and families. Children's Square campus in Council Bluffs added to CSI's service network.
• Omaha Public Schools (OPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for the School & Family Enrichment (SAFE) program, providing voluntary home-based family support services for children kindergarten through middle school. OPS refers children to the program based on behavioral concerns and attendance issues.
• Region 6 Behavioral Health CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the SAFE program alongside OPS and CSI, providing behavioral health expertise and community integration for family support services.
• Council Bluffs Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOversees the Herbert J. Lavigne Learning Center as an approved Iowa Department of Education program. Refer students with specialized IEP needs to the Tier 3 special education school.
• College of Saint MarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Spellman Child Development Center on their Aksarben campus, providing early childhood education services for children ages 6 weeks to 6 years.
• COA (Council on Accreditation)coreOthersCSI holds COA accreditation for services. Displayed on website as seal of approval for quality standards in children and family services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Children's Home & Aid: Midwest-based nonprofit delivering child welfare, behavioral health, and early childhood services across Illinois and surrounding states. Closely mirrors CSI's integrated service model (early childhood + behavioral health + foster care).
• ChildServe: Iowa-based nonprofit providing pediatric rehabilitation, residential, and community-based services for children with special needs. Highly comparable in mission and service mix, and the closest direct peer in CSI's newly expanded Southwest Iowa footprint.
• Boys Town: Nationally recognized youth services organization headquartered in Omaha, NE, operating residential treatment, behavioral health, and family support programs. Direct competitor for the same donor pool, school district contracts, and child welfare referrals in the Omaha metro.
• Heartland Family Service: Omaha-based nonprofit providing behavioral health, child and family services, and substance use treatment. Competes directly for the same Omaha-metro clients, school contracts, and behavioral health Medicaid reimbursements.
• Omaha Home for Boys (dba Completely KIDS): Omaha-based nonprofit serving at-risk youth and families through residential, educational, and community programs. Competes directly with CSI for local donor dollars, school partnerships, and at-risk youth referrals.
• Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska: Faith-affiliated Nebraska nonprofit offering behavioral health, foster care, and family support statewide. Comparable service mix and competes with CSI for Medicaid reimbursement, state contracts, and Omaha-area donor funds.

Broad incumbents

• Childhelp: National nonprofit providing child abuse treatment, prevention, and residential programs. Operates at much larger scale with a similar mission around trauma-informed child welfare and residential care, though without CSI's integrated early childhood/childcare component.
• Children's Home Society of California: Large-scale nonprofit providing adoption, foster care, and child welfare services with a much bigger geographic footprint. Comparable as an established incumbent in the children and family services nonprofit space, though regionally distinct.

Regional players

• Nebraska Children and Families Foundation: Statewide Nebraska organization focused on child welfare system reform and family support funding. Functions as both a peer organization and a potential grantmaker/funder overlapping with CSI's service area.

Emerging players

• Kids Connection (Iowa Department of HHS partner network): Network of Iowa-based family support and child welfare programs operating across western Iowa. Comparable in foster care and family preservation scope and directly relevant to CSI's expanded Iowa footprint post-merger.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/ChildSavingInstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/csiomaha
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/child-saving-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/childsavinginstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Child Saving Institute