Community Services for Children

What Community Services for Children does

Community Services for Children (CSC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981 and headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, delivers early childhood education and family support services across the Lehigh Valley and 17 Pennsylvania counties. Its core programs include Head Start and Pre-K Counts (approximately 50 classrooms across 11 area school districts serving ages 3–4), Early Head Start (prenatal through age 3, including home-based services and the SafeStart therapeutic program for abused infants and toddlers), and the Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) that act as one-stop hubs for childcare subsidies, Keystone STARS quality improvement, and referrals. Supporting offerings include Project Child parenting education and abuse prevention, the 2nd Head Start Alumni Scholarship, the Uplift After-School Program, Families First in Franklin Park, and the Early Childhood Institute for teacher professional development. CSC operates a flagship 85,000-square-foot CSC Downtown facility with 20 preschool classrooms, a 5,000-square-foot outdoor naturescape, and Innovation Labs focused on STEM, literacy, and creative arts.

CSC is funded almost entirely by government grants, primarily through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Head Start and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, supplemented by private donations and Pennsylvania Educational Investment Tax Credit (EITC) contributions from a roster of regional business partners (including American Bank, Capital Blue Cross, Highmark, PPL, Truist, UGI, and Weis Markets). All services are delivered at no cost to families meeting federal income-eligibility requirements, and families are reached through a community-led mix of school-district partnerships, county-level ELRCs, health-clinic outreach, community events, an active social-media presence, and the Project Child Parenting Podcast. CSC states it serves more than 35,000 children and families annually and employs over 400 individuals, functioning as the region's only therapeutic classroom provider (SafeStart) for substance-exposed and abused infants and toddlers.

Name

Community Services for Children

Legal name

Community Services for Children, Inc.

Website

https://cscinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (6244), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ), Subsidy & Funding Compliance (CCDF/child care assistance program requirements) (EDACAKAN), Program Monitoring & Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Services (EDACAKAL), Parent Support Groups & Peer Networks (EDACALAG), Community & Nonprofit Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAD)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Head Start programs
• Family support services
• Child abuse prevention
• Early learning resource centers

Headquarters

HQ city

Allentown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Subsidies: Community Services for Children is a government-funded non-profit organization. The primary funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Office of Head Start, along with Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development and private grants and donations. Services are provided free to qualifying families.
2. Donations and EITC Contributions: The organization accepts donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations. Through the Educational Investment Tax Credit (EITC) program in Pennsylvania, eligible businesses can receive tax credits equal to 75-90% of their contribution, up to $750,000 per taxable year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Community Services for Children (CSC) is a nonprofit that provides free, high-quality early childhood education programs (Head Start, Early Head Start, Pre-K Counts) and family support services to income-eligible families across the Lehigh Valley and 17 Pennsylvania counties. The organization also operates Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) for early education referrals and subsidies, child abuse prevention programs (Project Child), therapeutic services for abused infants (SafeStart), and the CSC Downtown family service center.

Product overview

Community Services for Children (CSC) offers a portfolio of interconnected early childhood education and family support programs. The core offerings include Head Start and Pre-K Counts (preschool education for children ages 3-4), Early Head Start (prenatal through age 3 services including SafeStart therapeutic care), and Early Learning Resource Centers spanning 17 Pennsylvania counties. CSC Downtown serves as a flagship facility with Innovation Labs. Supporting programs include Project Child (child abuse prevention), the 2nd Head Start Alumni Scholarship, the Uplift After-School Program, and Families First in Franklin Park community initiative. The Early Childhood Institute provides professional development. Collectively, these programs serve over 35,000 children and families annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Project Child: A coalition focused on preventing child abuse and neglect through parenting education, professional development, and parent support programs
• Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs)
• CSC Downtown
• Families First in Franklin Park
• Head Start of the Lehigh Valley
• SafeStart

Products and services

• Head Start and Pre-K Counts High-quality preschool education programs for children ages 3-4, operating across 11 school districts in the Lehigh Valley with approximately 50 classrooms, providing breakfast and lunch, at no cost to families meeting income eligibility.
• Early Head Start Comprehensive prenatal and post-birth education, parenting preparation, and support services for infants and toddlers from birth to age 3, including home-based services with weekly visits and group learning sessions, and SafeStart therapeutic center-based services for abused infants and toddlers.
• Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) One-stop shops for early education and child care needs operating across 17 Pennsylvania counties, combining Keystone STARS quality improvement and Child Care Works subsidy programs to help families access quality early education, childcare subsidies, and community resources.
• Project Child Coalition focused on preventing child abuse and neglect through parenting education, professional development, parent support, and public education services, including Parent Project Podcasts with 12 episodes featuring topics such as vaccinations, youth mental health, sleep habits, routines, and more.
• 2nd Head Start Alumni Scholarship Scholarship program for former Early Head Start/Head Start students pursuing higher education, offering $2,500 awards to two recipients annually.
• CSC Downtown State-of-the-art 85,000-square-foot Early Childhood and Family Service center with 20 preschool classrooms serving 400 children, featuring Innovation Labs for STEM, literacy, creative arts, and critical thinking skills development, plus a 5,000-square-foot outdoor naturescape, Creative Arts Studio, Fun and Fitness Centers, and Reading Room and Lending Library.
• Uplift After-School Program Safe space for children K-8th grade in Franklin Park offering activities, homework help, and dinner, in partnership with Ripple Church.
• Families First in Franklin Park Collaborative initiative in Allentown's Franklin Park neighborhood aimed at creating an early learning environment, partnering with Allentown Health Bureau, Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's Hospital, and Valley Health Partners to support families and children.
• Early Childhood Institute National-level professional development for Pre-Kindergarten to grade 1 teachers and trainers, focusing on STEM and early literacy training, developed with grant assistance from PP&L.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children who participate in high-quality early learning programs are 35 percent more likely to graduate from high school
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Allentown Health BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Families First in Franklin Park collaborative, working to create an early learning environment for young children in the Franklin Park neighborhood of Allentown
• Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Families First in Franklin Park collaborative and SafeStart program, supporting early childhood development and health services
• Valley Health PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in community health initiatives, including holiday food assistance programs and family support services
• BUILD InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAllentown is among 13 new communities throughout the US in BUILD's fourth cohort, focusing on early learning environment development
• Ripple ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring The Uplift After-School Program to Franklin Park, providing safe space for children K-8th grade with homework help and dinner
• Area School DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with 11 school districts: Allentown, Bangor, Easton, Bethlehem, East Penn, Salisbury, Northampton, Northern Lehigh, Parkland, Pen Argyl and Whitehall-Coplay for Head Start and Pre-K Counts programs
• Colonial Intermediate Unit 20minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Head Start and Pre-K Counts programming
• U.S. Department of Health & Human ServicescoreOthers
• Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic DevelopmentcoreOthers

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Child Development Council of Lancaster County: A Lancaster County, PA-based Head Start and Early Head Start grantee operating multiple classrooms and family support programs. Directly comparable as a fellow PA Head Start delegate agency serving low-income families with similar federal funding model.
• York County Community Action (Head Start): York, PA-based community action agency administering Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms for income-eligible families. Direct peer operating the same federal Head Start program model in a neighboring Pennsylvania geography.
• Children & Families First: A Delaware-based nonprofit providing early childhood education, family support, and child welfare services including Head Start programming. Comparable in combining ECE classroom delivery with broader family/social services under one nonprofit umbrella.
• T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania-focused early childhood workforce development and scholarship program. Comparable as a PA-based nonprofit supporting the early childhood education ecosystem, including credentialing and professional development that overlaps with CSC's Early Childhood Institute.

Regional players

• YWCA of Bethlehem & Lehigh Valley: A regional YWCA affiliate providing early childhood education, childcare, and family support services in the Lehigh Valley. Operates in the same local service area as CSC with comparable programs targeting women, children, and families, but as a national-affiliate model.
• United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley: A regional funder and convening nonprofit supporting early childhood, family stability, and education initiatives in the Lehigh Valley. Comparable as a local nonprofit collaborator and EITC/funding ecosystem partner, though not a direct Head Start operator.
• Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center (Head Start): Pittsburgh-area Head Start and Early Head Start grantee serving Native American and low-income families across western Pennsylvania. Comparable as a fellow PA Head Start delegate, but operating in a different region.

Others

• Pennsylvania Head Start Association: Statewide membership and advocacy association for Head Start grantees in Pennsylvania. Comparable as a sector association that CSC and its peer grantees participate in for policy advocacy, training, and coordination.
• National Head Start Association (NHSA): National membership organization representing Head Start programs across the U.S. Comparable as the federal-level umbrella body governing the funding and policy framework that CSC operates under.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Large for-profit provider of employer-sponsored early childhood education and back-up care. Comparable in delivering high-quality early learning programs, but serves an income-eligible / employer-paid population rather than Head Start-eligible families.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cscinc_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMVJJHlGE30WOCj7CVv_ESg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CSCinc.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-services-for-children
• Instagraminstagram.com/communityservicesforchildren

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Community Services for Children