Wichita Children's Home

What Wichita Children's Home does

Wichita Children's Home is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1888 and headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, that delivers trauma-responsive care to children and youth from birth through age 24 who have experienced abuse, neglect, sex trafficking, homelessness, or the death of a family member. The organization operates a diversified continuum of programs including an emergency shelter, foster care and adoption/guardianship services (Polaris), the Kidzcope outpatient therapy program, Gerard House, the MOM program, the Garver Program, BRIDGES for transition-age youth, Street Outreach, Safe Place, and the Dakhil Safe Home for immigrant and migrant youth. Approximately 1,700 children and youth are served annually, supported by a staff of 51-100 employees and a CARF-accredited service model.

The organization's service model is built on co-located residential and clinical infrastructure, with traditional cottages and houses on the Wichita campus now augmented by the active construction of a 15,910-square-foot Center for Children's Healing that will centralize therapy, forensic interviewing, and integrated medical and mental health services. Programming follows a trauma-informed framework spanning prevention through post-permanency, with specialized pathways for trafficking survivors, kinship care, and youth aging out of foster care. Technology integration in the data provided is limited to standard nonprofit operational systems; no proprietary technology platform is described.

Revenue is generated through a mix of individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and government contracts (likely state foster care and Medicaid reimbursement for clinical services, plus local/county contracts for Safe Place and street outreach). The current growth phase is largely funded through philanthropic capital campaigns, evidenced by the new Center for Children's Healing build. Go-to-market is relationship-based and referral-driven: clients arrive primarily through state child welfare referrals, law enforcement, schools, hospitals, and the National Safe Place network.

Name

Wichita Children's Home

Legal name

Wichita Children's Home

Website

https://wch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wichita Children's Home is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Wichita, Kansas, delivering trauma-informed residential, foster, therapy, and outreach services to roughly 1,700 children and youth (birth-24) annually experiencing abuse, neglect, trafficking, homelessness, or grief.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children and Youth Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Temporary Shelters (624221)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Child residential care
• Emergency youth shelter
• Foster care services
• Human trafficking recovery
• Youth homelessness support

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individual supporters providing direct care, shelter, and support services to children in crisis.
2. Planned Giving: Bequests, charitable distributions from IRAs (for those 70.5+), gifts of life insurance, appreciated securities, and donor-advised funds. These provide tax-advantaged giving opportunities while supporting children long-term.
3. Kids Club Membership: Annual donor program at $1,000+ levels providing exclusive events, recognition, and ongoing support for residential and emergency services.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Event sponsorships from companies like Textron Aviation (Wings for Dreams), Beechcraft, Cessna, Spirit Aerosystems, and others provide significant funding for programs serving homeless youth.
5. Government Grants and Contracts: Partnerships with Kansas Department for Children and Families (KDCF) and other government entities for foster care, emergency shelter, and anti-trafficking services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wichita Children's Home provides trauma-responsive residential care, emergency shelter, foster care, transitional housing, and community-based support programs for children and youth aged birth to 24 who have experienced abuse, neglect, human trafficking, grief, or homelessness. Programs include the only staff-secure facility in Kansas for child trafficking victims (Dakhil Safe Home) and an 80+ site Safe Place crisis network. All services are delivered free of charge.

Product overview

Wichita Children's Home is a nonprofit social services organization offering a comprehensive continuum of trauma-responsive care programs rather than a unified software product. The organization provides residential, outreach, and support services through distinct programs including Emergency Shelter, Foster Care Families, Polaris, Safe Place, Street Outreach Services, CrossRoads Shelter, BRIDGES transitional living, Gerard House, Moving On to Motherhood (MOM), Kidzcope grief counseling, Garver Program, and Dakhil Safe Home. These programs serve children and youth from birth to age 24 who have experienced abuse, neglect, human trafficking, grief, and homelessness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter Emergency residential care for children aged newborn to 18 brought by law enforcement due to abuse, neglect, abandonment, and human trafficking. Younger children are placed with emergency foster families while teens stay in on-site residential homes. Services operate 24/7/365.
• Foster Care Families Trauma-informed foster care placement for children aged 0-12 in crisis, with vetted foster families providing safe, nurturing homes supported 24/7 by WCH professionals.
• Polaris Residential program for youth aged 16-18 under DCF guardianship, providing a stable environment with 24/7 case managers who develop decision-making, coping, and independent living skills.
• Safe Place 24-hour crisis counseling and immediate response for youth aged 24 and under, delivered through a partnership network of more than 80 Safe Place sites including QuikTrip stores, fire stations, libraries, YMCA, and Boys & Girls Club locations. Youth can call (316) 262-HOME or text SAFE and their location to 44357.
• Street Outreach Services (SOS) Mobile street outreach providing direct resources, crisis intervention, survival items, and access to emergency shelter for youth experiencing homelessness, who have run away, or are at risk of trafficking and exploitation.
• CrossRoads Shelter The community's only 24-hour low-barrier emergency shelter and Drop-In Center for youth aged 18-24 experiencing homelessness, providing food, hygiene supplies, showers, clothing, laundry, mail services, healthcare referrals, and WiFi/computer access.
• BRIDGES Building Responsibility and Independence, Development of Goals and Empowerment Skills — a transitional residential therapeutic care program providing furnished apartments for individuals aged 16-22 experiencing homelessness, pregnancy, parenting, or recovering from human trafficking.
• Gerard House Residential maternity group home for pregnant and parenting teens aged 10-21 and their babies, providing pre- and post-natal support, parenting education, life skills training, nutritional education, and on-site daycare.
• Moving On to Motherhood (MOM) Community outreach program for pregnant and parenting youth aged 10-21 providing case management, parenting education, life skills classes, referrals, and Baby Mobile services that deliver essential supplies to high schools and community centers.
• Kidzcope No-fee, peer-based bereavement program for children ages 3-18 and their caregivers experiencing grief through death, loss, or separation, using expressive art and therapeutic activities across an 8-week program.
• Garver Program Long-term residential therapeutic program for girls aged 10-17 identified as survivors of human trafficking or at risk, providing individualized case management, medical, dental, and mental health care, substance abuse counseling, education recovery, and trauma-informed support.
• Dakhil Safe Home Staff-secure residential facility for newly exited victims aged 17 and under of human trafficking in Kansas, providing a safe and therapeutic environment for basic needs, healing, and law enforcement collaboration for prosecution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves nearly 1,700 children each year who have experienced abuse, neglect, abandonment, exploitation, trafficking, loss, and/or homelessness
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Child Advocacy CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the anti-human trafficking initiative providing coordinated response for child victims including forensic interviews, medical exams, and advocacy services.
• Wichita Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey law enforcement partner for emergency shelter admissions, human trafficking response, and street outreach services. Refers children in crisis to WCH services.
• Sedgwick County Sheriff's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw enforcement partner for child protection, trafficking investigations, and referrals to WCH emergency and residential services.
• Department for Children and Families (DCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKansas state agency that provides foster care oversight, guardianship for youth in WCH programs, and funding for child welfare services including Polaris program.
• KVCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBehavioral health organization providing services to children and families in Kansas.
• Saint Francis MinistriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChild welfare services provider operating foster care and family preservation programs in Kansas.
• CornerstoneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChild welfare organization providing foster care, adoption, and family services.
• TFI Family ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChild welfare services provider in Kansas offering foster care, adoption, and family support.
• ICT SOSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organization supporting human trafficking survivors and at-risk youth in Wichita.
• United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sponsor and community partner of Wichita Children's Home. United Way of Plains supports WCH through funding, volunteer coordination, and community visibility.
• QuikTrip CorporationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuikTrip convenience stores serve as Safe Place sites 24 hours a day for children and youth in crisis. Over 80 Safe Place locations across Wichita/Sedgwick County.
• Wichita/Sedgwick County Fire DepartmentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFire stations serve as designated Safe Place sites where youth can access immediate crisis help 24/7.
• Wichita Public LibrariesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublic libraries serve as Safe Place locations for youth in crisis.
• YMCA of WichitaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYMCA locations serve as Safe Place sites for youth needing crisis services.
• Boys & Girls Club of WichitaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBoys & Girls Club locations serve as Safe Place sites for at-risk youth.
• Schaefer ArchitecturemajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm collaborating on design of the Center for Children's Healing, a 15,910 sq. ft. trauma-informed facility on WCH's main campus.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Covenant House: National nonprofit providing shelter, housing, and supportive services to youth experiencing homelessness and trafficking. Highly comparable to WCH's CrossRoads Shelter, BRIDGES, and Dakhil Safe Home programs serving the same populations.
• Boys Town: National organization providing residential care, foster care, and family services to at-risk children and youth. Directly comparable to WCH's continuum of emergency shelter, foster care, and Polaris residential programs.
• National Runaway Safeline: Operates the national Safe Place network (the same program WCH runs locally) and crisis line for runaway and homeless youth. Direct peer via shared Safe Place program affiliation and identical mission around youth crisis intervention.
• Childhelp: National nonprofit dedicated to prevention and treatment of child abuse, operating residential programs, hotlines, and advocacy. Comparable to WCH's abuse and neglect programs including emergency shelter and Kidzcope trauma support.
• Mercy Home for Boys & Girls: Chicago-based nonprofit providing residential care, treatment, and aftercare services for youth in crisis. Directly comparable to WCH's residential continuum including Gerard House, Dakhil Safe Home, and Polaris programs.

Regional players

• KVC Health Systems: Kansas-based child welfare and behavioral health organization providing foster care, family preservation, and residential services. Directly competes for Kansas DCF contracts and serves overlapping populations in WCH's region.
• Saint Francis Ministries: Kansas child welfare services provider offering foster care, adoption, and family preservation programs. Regional peer competing for the same DCF referrals and contracts across Kansas.
• Cornerstones of Care: Kansas/Missouri-based child welfare and family services organization providing foster care, residential, and behavioral health services. Comparable scope of programs serving youth in crisis in WCH's broader regional market.

Broad incumbents

• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: National organization addressing child abduction, exploitation, and trafficking recovery. Comparable anti-trafficking mission aligned with WCH's Dakhil Safe Home and Garver Program, though operating at national scale.

Others

• National Children's Alliance: National accrediting body and network supporting Child Advocacy Centers coordinating responses to child abuse. Comparable to WCH's partnership with the local Child Advocacy Center for anti-trafficking response and forensic interview services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMz_b51IThtiLHd2qariKVw?app=desktop
• Facebookfacebook.com/wichitachildrenshome
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wichita-childrens-home
• Instagraminstagram.com/wichitachildren
• Xx.com/WichitaChildren

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Wichita Children's Home