Support for Families of Children with Disabilities

What Support for Families of Children with Disabilities does

Support for Families of Children with Disabilities is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1982 that provides free information, education, and parent-to-parent support to families of children with disabilities, learning differences, and complex medical needs ages 0-26. The organization operates as the Bay Area's centralized hub for disability service navigation, delivering services through a Warmline phone support line, in-person office at 832 Folsom Street, virtual Zoom sessions, support groups, workshops, IEP clinics, and the Early Connections Centralized Access Point (CAP) for children 0-3. All programs are offered free of charge in English, Spanish, and Cantonese, and include a Parent Mentor Program, ECE professional training, DCYF grantee capacity-building support, and annual events such as the Information and Resource Conference.

The organization holds five federal and state designations — Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC), Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) via the NCC4 Consortium, Family Empowerment Center on Disability (FEC), Early Start Family Resource Center (ESFRC), and Family-to-Family Health Information Center (F2F) — funded by the US Office of Special Education Programs, California Department of Education, California Department of Developmental Services, HRSA, and the California Early Start Program. Revenue is derived entirely from individual donations, corporate sponsorships (Corporate Circle), government grants, and in-kind contributions, with no fees charged to families. Strategic partnerships span Golden Gate Regional Center, Family Voices of California, NAMI SF, Chinatown Child Development Center, Matrix Parents, NEMS, and Felton, positioning the organization as a routing and capacity-building node within the regional disability services ecosystem.

Technology infrastructure is limited to standard productivity and communication tools — Zoom for virtual service delivery, Google Calendar/iCalendar/Outlook for event scheduling, and the Sparkler developmental screening app integrated into the Early Connections intake workflow. The organization maintains a website (supportforfamilies.org), active social media presence, and an online Learning Center with information packets covering ADHD, Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Learning Disabilities, and transition topics. There is no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, and no commercial software product; the core operational model is human-delivered family support services rather than technology-enabled service delivery.

Name

Support for Families of Children with Disabilities

Legal name

Support for Families of Children with Disabilities

Website

https://supportforfamilies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Support for Families of Children with Disabilities is a San Francisco-based nonprofit founded in 1982 that provides free information, education, and peer support to families of children with disabilities ages 0-26, delivering services in English, Spanish, and Cantonese across the Bay Area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Family Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK)

Keywords

• Family support services
• Disability advocacy services
• Parent education programs
• Special needs resources
• Early intervention services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting families of children with disabilities. Donation tiers fund specific programs such as community events, parent leader training, workshop translation, and support group sponsorship.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate Circle program providing employee engagement, volunteer opportunities, and brand recognition in exchange for corporate sponsorship.
3. Government Grants: Funding from government agencies including San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF) Children and Youth Fund, California Department of Education, California Department of Developmental Services, Health and Human Resources Administration (HRSA), and California Early Start Program.
4. In-Kind Gifts: Non-monetary contributions of goods and services including event supplies, gift certificates, professional services, equipment, and auction donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Support for Families of Children with Disabilities is a nonprofit organization that provides free information, education, and parent-to-parent support to families of children with disabilities in San Francisco and the Bay Area. The organization offers one-on-one navigation support, support groups, workshops, IEP clinics, parent mentor matching, and the Early Connections program for children 0-3, all delivered free of charge in English, Spanish, and Cantonese.

Product overview

Support for Families of Children with Disabilities is a nonprofit organization providing a comprehensive suite of support services for families of children with disabilities in San Francisco. The organization operates as a centralized hub offering one-on-one navigation support, a Parent Mentor Program connecting families with peer mentors, multiple support groups (Autism, Adult Services & Transition, language-specific groups in Spanish and Cantonese), educational workshops including IEP Clinics, and the Early Connections program for children 0-3. Additional services include training for ECE professionals, DCYF grantee support, a Learning Center with information packets and resources, and special events. All core services are provided free of charge and are available in English, Spanish, and Cantonese.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Early Connections: A free program supporting children 0-3 and their families with care coordination, playgroups, and specialized developmental support. Serves as the Centralized Access Point (CAP) for Early Connections in San Francisco.
• Centralized Access Point (CAP)
• Early Intervention Family Resource Center (EI FRC)
• DCYF Grantees Support

Products and services

• One on One Navigation Support
• Parent Mentor Program
• Support Groups
• Workshops
• Early Connections Program
• DCYF Grantees Support
• ECE Professionals Training
• IEP Clinics

Quantifiable outcome

• Free services for all families regardless of ability to pay
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Golden Gate Regional Center (GGRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGGRC is the local regional center for San Francisco, Marin, and San Mateo counties providing assessments and services for individuals with developmental disabilities. Support for Families provides support groups for GGRC families and assists families with the GGRC application process.
• Matrix ParentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide Spanish-speaking support group for families served by Golden Gate Regional Center, held 2nd Fridays monthly via Zoom.
• AbilityPath FRCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily Resource Center partnership for Spanish-speaking support group for families served by Golden Gate Regional Center.
• Chinatown Child Development Center (CCDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide Chinese-Speaking Parent Support Group (华语家长支持小组) held 3rd Mondays, 2:00-3:30pm. The group is presented in Cantonese.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI SF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Spanish-Speaking Families of Children with Mental Health Concerns Support Group, held 1st Thursdays, 6:30-8:00pm.
• NEMS (North East Medical Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCare coordination partnership for Early Connections program. NEMS provides care coordination services alongside Support for Families and Felton.
• FeltoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCare coordination partnership for Early Connections program. Felton provides care coordination services alongside Support for Families and NEMS.
• Family Voices of California (FVCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver Project Leadership parent advocacy training program statewide. FVCA leads the training while Support for Families serves as the San Francisco hub.
• San Francisco Department of Early ChildhoodcoreOthersDCYF funds Support for Families as a grantee and partner in providing early childhood development services. Support for Families serves as the Centralized Access Point (CAP) for Early Connections program.
• SF Recreation and Parks DepartmentsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for therapeutic recreation programs and inclusive programming including Access to Adventure events and baseball clinics.
• CASE (Community Alliance for Special Education)secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partnership for families requiring advocacy services beyond what Support for Families provides. CASE offers independent education advocacy and attorney services.
• California Department of EducationcoreOthersProvides Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) services throughout the Bay Area as part of the NCC4 PTI Consortium.
• California Department of Developmental ServicescoreOthersFunds regional centers and early intervention services that Support for Families helps families navigate. Provides Self-Determination Program support.
• US Office of Special Education ProgramscoreOthersFederal agency providing grants and leadership for special education and early intervention programs that Support for Families participates in.
• SF Kids CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative centering voices of families from historically excluded communities, partnering with providers to effect systemic change. Includes Community Connectors program.
• Decoding Dyslexia CAsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Families of Children with Dyslexia Support Group, held 1st Mondays, 7:00-8:30pm.
• SF Baseball AcademysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for baseball clinic for teens with disabilities, held every other month for ages 12-22.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Parents Place Family Resource Center: San Mateo County-based Family Resource Center serving families of children with special needs; operates in an adjacent county to Support for Families with the same DDS-funded FRC model and similar population focus.
• Warmline Family Resource Center: Sacramento-area Family Resource Center serving families of children with disabilities; comparable DDS-funded FRC peer in a different region of California, useful for benchmarking statewide FRC operations.

Direct peers

• PACER Center: National Parent Training and Information Center based in Minnesota serving families of children with disabilities; operates the same PTI federal mandate model as Support for Families, making it a direct functional peer for benchmarking.
• Parents Helping Parents: San Jose-based parent training and information center serving families of children with special needs in Silicon Valley; co-member of the NCC4 PTI Consortium alongside Support for Families, with highly overlapping service model including IEP support, parent education, and early intervention navigation.
• AbilityPath: Bay Area nonprofit providing direct services, family support, and advocacy for children and adults with developmental disabilities; operates a Family Resource Center and is an explicit FRC partner of Support for Families for Spanish-speaking GGRC families.
• Through the Looking Glass: Berkeley-based nonprofit providing clinical and family support services for families with disabilities including early intervention; geographically adjacent to Support for Families and serves overlapping Bay Area disability community.
• Matrix Parents: Network of California Family Resource Centers serving families of children with special needs; co-member of the NCC4 PTI Consortium and formal Spanish-speaking support group partner of Support for Families.
• Family Voices of California: Statewide family-led advocacy organization for children with special health care needs; collaborates with Support for Families on Project Leadership parent training and is the referral destination for families outside the SF catchment area.

Broad incumbents

• Easterseals Bay Area: Regional affiliate of Easterseals providing disability services including early intervention, autism services, and family support across the Bay Area with a much larger operational footprint than Support for Families.
• The Arc of California: Statewide chapter of The Arc, the largest national disability advocacy organization; offers broader advocacy and information services across California with overlapping parent support and IEP navigation content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/supportforfams
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMlRswIcoxC2l6C4CGvxDRA
• Facebookfacebook.com/supportforfamiliessf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/support-for-families-of-children-with-disabilities
• Instagraminstagram.com/supportforfamilies

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Support for Families of Children with Disabilities