Carefirst

What Carefirst does

Carefirst Seniors & Community Services Association is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1976 and headquartered in Scarborough, Ontario, operating in the Greater Toronto Area with 501-1000 employees. The organization delivers a comprehensive continuum of community, social, and healthcare services for seniors and families across three operational divisions: Community Support Services (Adult Day Program, Home Care, Personal Support, Transportation, Meals on Wheels, Grocery/Medication Delivery, Carefirst Lifeline, Elderm Abuse Helpline, Bereavement Support, Wellness Club), the Carefirst Family Health Team (multi-disciplinary primary care via Access Clinic, Chronic Disease Management, Diabetes Education, Specialist Clinic through sites in Scarborough, Richmond Hill, and Markham, with Stouffville opening August 2026), and the Carefirst Foundation (a registered charity funding mechanism). Mobile Health Clinic and Cervical Screening Mobile Clinic extensions provide walk-in nurse practitioner consultations and HPV testing, including to patients without OHIP or family doctors.

The organization operates a hub-and-spoke care model connecting family health clinics, mobile units, and home-based services. Underlying technology is operational rather than proprietary: third-party online booking platforms (PickTime, Ocean CognisantMD) for scheduling, Carefirst Lifeline personal emergency response hardware, and a multi-language website (English, Chinese Simplified/Traditional, French, Korean, Tamil). No AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or proprietary software are disclosed.

Carefirst is funded through a hybrid revenue model: recurring government contracts from the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care and Ontario Health, individual client co-payments for services such as personal support ($28.50/hour), hot meals ($8), frozen meals ($7.50), transportation ($7.50-$12), and grocery delivery ($5 + $2.50/5km), plus donations routed through the Carefirst Foundation and corporate philanthropy. The Campus of Care long-term care home project at 9893 Leslie Street, Richmond Hill, approved in January 2021, represents a major capital expansion. Strategic distribution is community-led, with referral networks, partnerships with Toronto Metropolitan University, OCSA, AdvantAge Ontario, HSPN, and United Way, and active social/CE-marketing. Accreditation Exemplary Seal (Accreditation Canada, 2017) and Ontario Health funding for the Black Health Initiative (with EYRNDOHT) reflect regulatory and institutional standing.

Name

Carefirst

Legal name

Carefirst Seniors & Community Services Association

Website

https://carefirstontario.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Carefirst is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1976 serving seniors and families in the Greater Toronto Area through integrated community support services, a multi-site Family Health Team, mobile health clinics, and a long-term care Campus of Care development approved by Ontario.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Senior Care and Community Health Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Home Health Care Services (6216), Continuing Care Retirement Communities (623311), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Care Management & Care Coordination (Home & Community-Based) (HLAFAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Caregiver Support, Coaching & Training (HLADALAG), Family Caregiver Coaching, Education & Support (HSABAIAI), Care Navigation & Service Coordination (Medical, Social, Community) (HSABAIAB)

Keywords

• Senior care services
• Community health services
• Primary care clinics
• Home care services
• Long-term care

Headquarters

HQ city

Scarborough

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Core operations funded by Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care and Ontario Health. The Campus of Care project was approved by the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care in January 2021.
2. Service Co-payments: Various community support services charge co-payments including personal support services at $28.5/hour, meals delivery, transportation, and grocery/medication delivery fees.
3. Donations and Foundation: Carefirst Foundation is a registered charity that funds and supports social, health and education services through donor contributions.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Support from long-term philanthropists and corporate supporters for initiatives like the Campus of Care building project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Carefirst is a non-profit charitable community services agency that delivers an integrated portfolio of health and social services for seniors and families across the Greater Toronto Area. Its core offerings encompass multi-disciplinary primary care through the Carefirst Family Health Team, in-home and community support services (personal support, meals, transportation, grocery/medication delivery, virtual counselling, safety checks), specialized programs (Mobile Health Clinic, Cervical Screening Mobile Clinic, Black Health Initiative, Adult Day Program, Assisted Living, Supportive Housing, Transitional Care Centre, GAIN, Carefirst Lifeline), and a forthcoming Campus of Care long-term care home in Richmond Hill.

Product overview

Carefirst is a non-profit charitable community services agency established in 1976 offering a comprehensive portfolio of integrated healthcare and community support services. The organization operates three main divisions: Community Support Services (delivering meals, transportation, personal support, virtual counseling, and safety checks); Family Health Team (providing multi-disciplinary primary care through clinics including Access Clinic, Chronic Disease Management, Diabetes Education, and Specialist services); and Carefirst Foundation (a registered charity funding social, health and education initiatives). Key programs include Mobile Health Clinic offering walk-in nurse practitioner services, Cervical Screening Mobile Clinic, Black Health Initiative (culturally responsive care for Black communities), Campus of Care (long-term care home development), and various senior services including Adult Day Program, Assisted Living, Home Care, Transportation, and Vocational Training. Services are delivered across multiple languages including English, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), French, Korean, and Tamil to serve diverse communities in the Greater Toronto Area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Carefirst Family Health Team: Multi-disciplinary primary care team delivering timely, accessible, patient and family-centered care in collaboration with community partners
• Carefirst Foundation
• Carefirst Campus of Care
• Black Health Initiative
• High Priority Communities Program

Products and services

• Adult Day Program Daytime program providing social activities, health monitoring, and respite care for seniors and adults with disabilities, including outings such as the Black Creek Pioneer Village outing.
• Assisted Living Services Supportive housing and living assistance for seniors requiring help with daily activities while maintaining independence.
• Bereavement Support Counseling and support services for individuals and families coping with loss.
• Carefirst Lifeline Personal emergency response and safety monitoring service for seniors living independently.
• Caregivers Support & Education Program Resources, education, and support services for family caregivers of seniors or individuals with chronic conditions.
• Community Support Services Comprehensive array of community-based support services including grocery delivery, medication delivery, virtual support and counselling, personal support services, telephone safety checks, meals on wheels, transportation, and food hampers for seniors and individuals needing assistance.
• Elder Abuse Helpline Support hotline for seniors experiencing or at risk of elder abuse.
• Geriatric Assessment and Intervention Network (GAIN) Specialized assessment and intervention services for seniors with complex health needs.
• Home Care Service In-home personal support services including light meal preparation, cleaning, daily living activities, personal hygiene, and medication reminders, available at a minimum of 2 hours per visit at $28.50/hour.
• Home Dialysis Assistance Program (Integrated Dialysis Care) Home-based dialysis support services for patients requiring assistance with dialysis treatment.
• Overnight Stay Program Short-stay overnight care program providing respite and accommodation for seniors and caregivers needing temporary support.
• Supportive Housing Housing services for seniors who need support but wish to maintain independence in a community setting.
• Transitional Care Centre Intermediate care facility supporting patients transitioning between hospital and home or long-term care.
• Transportation Transportation services for medical appointments, pharmacy visits, and grocery shopping within service boundaries, priced at $7.50 within 5km and $12 for 5.1-10km.
• Vocational Training Employment and skills development programs for community members.
• Wellness Club Health and wellness programs promoting active aging and social engagement for seniors.
• Family Health Team Multi-disciplinary primary healthcare team delivering accessible, patient and family-centered care through multiple clinic locations including Access Clinic, Chronic Disease Management Program, Diabetes Education Program, and Specialist Clinic. Hub-and-spoke expansion with Chalmers Clinic (Richmond Hill), Gibson Clinic (Markham), and forthcoming Stouffville Clinic.
• Access Clinic Walk-in access clinic within the Family Health Team providing primary care access to patients.
• Chronic Disease Management Program Program within the Family Health Team providing management and education for chronic disease conditions.
• Diabetes Education Program (DEP) Specialized education program for patients with diabetes within the Family Health Team.
• Specialist Clinic Specialist physician services available through the Family Health Team for referred patients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving seniors and families in Greater Toronto Area since 1976

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Ontario Ministry of Long-Term CarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care approved Carefirst in January 2021 to build a Campus of Care at 9893 Leslie Street, Richmond Hill. This represents a core strategic partnership for developing integrated senior care facilities.
• Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership presenting the High Priority Communities Strategy symposium with the Master of Health Administration (Community Care) program at TMU, offering ground-breaking learnings from Ontario's HPCS initiative.
• Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of High Priority Communities Strategy symposium, contributing expertise in community support services and healthcare system performance.
• AdvantAge OntariocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of symposium on High Priority Communities Strategy, bringing expertise in senior care and aging services.
• Health System Performance Network (HSPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of symposium contributing healthcare system performance research and expertise.
• EYRNDOHT (Black Health Initiative Partner)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with EYRNDOHT for the Black Health Initiative to eliminate barriers for equitable, high-quality care within the Black community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bayshore HealthCare: Canada's largest privately owned home and community health services provider offering home care, nursing, and personal support. Overlaps with Carefirst's home support, transportation, and community service lines at national scale.
• Revera Inc. One of Canada's largest owners, operators, and investors in seniors' living (retirement residences and long-term care). Comparable as a long-term care and assisted living operator relevant to Carefirst's Campus of Care development.
• Sienna Senior Living: Major Ontario-based operator of retirement residences and long-term care communities. Comparable on the long-term care and senior living dimensions, particularly relevant as Carefirst builds its Campus of Care.
• SE Health (Saint Elizabeth Health Care): Large Canadian non-profit home and community health services provider offering home care, nursing, and personal support across multiple provinces. Overlaps with Carefirst's home care and community support services at greater geographic scale.

Direct peers

• VHA Home HealthCare: Non-profit home and community support services provider in Ontario delivering personal support, nursing, and caregiver services to seniors and families. Closely comparable to Carefirst's community support and home care service lines.
• Closing the Gap Healthcare: Ontario-based provider of home health, community, and clinic-based services including physiotherapy, nursing, and personal support. Directly comparable to Carefirst's community care and Family Health Team offerings in Ontario.
• Baycrest: Toronto-based non-profit seniors care organization offering long-term care, rehabilitation, ambulatory services, and community programs for older adults. Operates a comparable integrated model of community support, ambulatory care, and residential services.
• Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care: Non-profit charitable organization providing culturally responsive long-term care, community, and seniors' services in the Greater Toronto Area with a strong focus on the Chinese-Canadian community. Highly comparable in mission, geographic footprint, and service mix to Carefirst.

Regional players

• Sherbourne Health Centre: Toronto-based non-profit community health organization providing primary care, community programs, and culturally responsive services. Comparable in operating model and Toronto regional footprint, though serving broader populations including newcomers.
• Home Instead Senior Care (Canada): National franchise network providing non-medical in-home care, companionship, and personal support for seniors. Comparable to Carefirst's home care, personal support, and Lifeline service offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CarefirstSenior
• Facebookfacebook.com/carefirstSeniors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carefirst-seniors-and-community-services-association

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 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 Carefirst