What Ramapo for Children does

Ramapo for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1922 and headquartered on a 242-acre campus in Rhinebeck, New York, with an administrative office in New York City. The organization serves children, young adults, educators, and caregivers through two interconnected arms: direct-service programs and professional development training. Direct-service programs include Camp Ramapo (residential summer camp for ages 6-16 with diverse abilities), Ramapo Day Camp (ages 5-15), the Staff Assistant Experience (a residential transition-to-independence program for neurodivergent young adults ages 18-25), Ramapo Retreats (adventure-based group experiences), and School-Age Child Care at Chancellor Livingston Elementary School. The professional development arm—operating as Ramapo Training—delivers workshops, on-site coaching, restorative practices implementation, family engagement training, and school climate assessments to public and private schools and youth-serving organizations.

The organization's underlying methodology is the proprietary Ramapo Approach, a codified curriculum developed over more than 100 years of direct-service experience that provides adults with layered strategies to meet children's social, emotional, and developmental needs. Programming is delivered primarily through in-person service at the Rhinebeck campus and on-site at partner schools and organizations, with a website-based inquiry system for intake. There is no proprietary technology platform or software product; the value proposition is entirely human-delivered.

The business model is a hybrid of charitable donation revenue (from foundations, corporations, and individuals) and earned program fees maintained at accessible levels through philanthropic subsidies. Key financial supporters include Bloomberg Philanthropies, Dyson Foundation, Butler Foundation, Taft Foundation, FAR Fund, Littauer Foundation, M&T Bank, Stewart's Shops, Community Foundation of the Hudson Valley, and the New York State Department of Labor. A flagship institutional relationship is with the NYC Department of Education's Office of Safety and Youth Development, a partnership active since 2016 covering 16 schools and approximately 160 engagements in the 2023-2024 academic year. Annual fundraising events (e.g., Casino Night) and a recurring Annual Appeal supplement major-gift fundraising. The organization holds a 4-star Charity Navigator rating and is governed by a Board of Directors led by Board President Katherine Locker Scharlatt and CEO Daniel Stephens, M.D.

Name

Ramapo for Children

Legal name

Ramapo for Children, Inc.

Website

https://ramapoforchildren.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ramapo for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1922 that runs direct-service youth programs and the Ramapo Training professional development practice for educators, serving over 18,000 children, young adults, caregivers, and schools annually from a Rhinebeck, NY campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child Care Services (62441), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs Early Intervention & Preschool Programs (EDAKAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trauma-Informed & Resilience-Building Programs (Early Childhood) (EDACAOAD), Staff & Caregiver Training (Transfers, Safe Handling, Home Programs) (EDAKAGAK), Pediatric Physical Therapy & Developmental Rehab (HSADAIAE), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Special needs summer camp
• Professional development training
• Inclusive education services
• Nonprofit youth services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Ramapo for Children operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization relying on charitable donations from foundations, corporations, and individuals to sustain campus operations, programs, and scholarships. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law (Federal ID: 13-5600422).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ramapo for Children provides direct-service youth programs (residential Camp Ramapo, Ramapo Day Camp, Ramapo Retreats, the Staff Assistant Experience for neurodivergent young adults, and School-Age Child Care) for children and young adults with social, emotional, and developmental differences. In parallel, its Ramapo Training arm delivers professional development workshops, on-site coaching, family engagement training, restorative practices implementation, and school climate assessments for educators, administrators, families, and youth-serving organizations.

Product overview

Ramapo for Children operates as a multi-program organization offering both direct-service youth programs and professional development training. The core programs include Camp Ramapo (residential summer camp for ages 6-16 with diverse abilities), Ramapo Day Camp (summer day program for ages 5-15), the Staff Assistant Experience (residential transition program for neurodivergent young adults ages 18-25), Ramapo Retreats (adventure-based experiences), and School-Age Child Care (before/after-school program). The professional development arm includes Professional Development workshops, Coaching, Family Engagement, Restorative Practices, and Climate Assessments services for schools and educators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RamaShop: Ramapo's gift shop selling merchandise featuring the Ramapo logo. All proceeds support the Staff Assistant Experience for scholarships and program activities.
• RamaCafé

Products and services

• Camp Ramapo A residential summer camp on Ramapo's Rhinebeck, NY campus for young people ages 6 to 16 with diverse abilities (social, emotional, developmental, and neurological differences). Camper families enroll their children for multi-week overnight summer sessions with full programming, supervision, and inclusive activities.
• Ramapo Day Camp An enriching summer day program on the Rhinebeck campus for Hudson Valley youth ages 5 to 15. Parents enroll their children for daytime summer programming that supports social, emotional, and recreational development without overnight lodging.
• Staff Assistant Experience (SAE) A residential transitional program for neurodivergent young adults ages 18 to 25, providing independent living and workforce preparation. Participants develop job skills (e.g., in childcare and hospitality via partnerships with local employers) and approximately 80% transition into education or employment.
• Ramapo Retreats Short-term, adventure-based experiences for schools and community groups, hosted on the Rhinebeck campus. Schools and youth organizations book multi-day retreats focused on team-building, community-building, and social-emotional learning.
• School-Age Child Care A before- and after-school program operated by Ramapo at Chancellor Livingston Elementary School in Rhinebeck, NY. Parents of enrolled elementary students contract for supervised care outside of school hours.
• Professional Development Workshops Workshops for teachers, parents, administrators, and support staff, delivered through Ramapo Training. Schools, districts, and youth-serving organizations engage Ramapo to provide structured professional development grounded in the Ramapo Approach.
• On-Site Coaching On-site coaching for educators, program directors, and school leaders delivered through Ramapo Training. Schools and youth-serving organizations contract for sustained coaching engagements that translate Ramapo Approach strategies into everyday classroom and program practice.
• Family Engagement Workshops Supportive workshops for parents, caregivers, and parent coordinators delivered through Ramapo Training. Designed for adults supporting children with social, emotional, or developmental differences at home and in community settings.
• Restorative Practices Implementation Support to implement restorative practices in schools and youth-serving programs, delivered through Ramapo Training. The engagement with the NYC Department of Education's Office of Safety and Youth Development uses this approach across 16 NYC schools annually.
• Climate Assessments School climate assessments aligned with desired outcomes, delivered through Ramapo Training. Schools and youth-serving organizations engage Ramapo to evaluate and align climate and culture with organizational goals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 18,000 youth, young adults, caregivers, and educators served annually
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Office of Safety and Youth Development (OSYD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016OSYD, a division of the NYC Department of Education, has partnered with Ramapo Training since 2016 to make schools safe and supportive. During 2023-2024, Ramapo worked with OSYD in 16 NYC schools, serving 524 participants through 160 engagements including workshops and coaching on restorative practices and school climate.
• JumpstartminorOthersJumpstart, a national early education organization, was founded by four individuals who met as counselors at Ramapo. Aaron Lieberman, David Carmel, Rebecca Weintraub, and Jordan Meranus were inspired by their Ramapo experience to create Jumpstart, which now engages 4,000 college students serving nearly 15,000 children across 20 states.
• Northern Dutchess Rod & Gun ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization providing fishing instruction and experiences for campers during summer sessions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Turnaround for Children: NYC-based nonprofit that partners with public schools to build social-emotional and trauma-informed practices — directly comparable to Ramapo Training's in-school coaching, restorative practices, and climate-assessment work with NYC DOE.
• Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility: Nonprofit delivering SEL, restorative practices, and teacher training to NYC public schools — overlapping programmatic focus, target customer (schools/educators), and geography with Ramapo Training.
• The Center for Discovery: New York nonprofit providing residential, educational, and clinical services for children and adults with complex developmental disabilities; comparable to Ramapo's residential camp and Staff Assistant Experience programming for special-needs populations.
• Wildwood Programs: New York nonprofit providing residential, educational, and adult transition services for individuals with developmental disabilities — comparable to Staff Assistant Experience and Camp Ramapo's special-needs residential programming in NY.

Broad incumbents

• Easterseals: Large national nonprofit providing disability and special-needs services including camps, respite, and transition services; comparable population served (children/young adults with disabilities) but at much greater national scale than Ramapo.
• 92nd Street Y (92Y): NYC-based community organization running youth programs, camps, retreats, and adult education — comparable to Ramapo's combination of day camp, retreats, before/after-school care, and educational programming in the same metro.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National nonprofit delivering after-school, summer camp, and youth-development programming — comparable to Ramapo Day Camp, School-Age Child Care, and youth-development mission, though at much greater scale and broader population.
• YMCA of Greater New York: Regional nonprofit operating day camps, before/after-school care, and youth programs in NYC and Hudson Valley — directly comparable geographic and programmatic overlap with Ramapo's camp, child-care, and youth-development lines.
• Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services: Large NYC nonprofit providing social, emotional, and behavioral health services for children and families — comparable in mission, NYC geography, and population served to Ramapo's social-emotional and behavioral support programs.

Emerging players

• Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health: Nonprofit retreat and wellness center offering residential programming on a large campus — comparable to Ramapo Retreats' 242-acre campus-based adventure and team-building model for schools and community groups.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ramapo4children
• Facebookfacebook.com/ramapoforchildren
• Instagraminstagram.com/ramapoforchildren

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 Ramapo for Children