Jewish Family & Childrens Service

What Jewish Family & Childrens Service does

Jewish Family & Children's Service (JF&CS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit human-services agency founded in 1864 and headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, serving the Greater Boston region. The organization operates an integrated "one-roof" service model across five core divisions: Center for Early Relationship Support (parenting, home visits, and clinical services), CHAI Disability Services (residential, day programming, employment services for adults and children with autism and developmental disabilities), Services for Older Adults (care management, Alzheimer's/dementia support, Parkinson's family support, Schechter Holocaust Services for ~450 survivors, and Jewish Healing), Center for Basic Needs Assistance (Family Table food pantry, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Journey to Safety domestic violence response, TeenSafe), and Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing (Mental Health Connect helpline, support groups, therapy matching).

JF&CS reaches 14,000+ individuals per year through in-person service delivery at its Waltham headquarters and community locations, home visits, helplines (Mental Health Connect, Parent Connect, SeniorDirect), and virtual/Zoom programs. Pricing across services is free, low-cost, or donation-based, with no client turned away for inability to pay. Revenue is sourced from government grants and contracts (including an 11-year, $1.9M Massachusetts Department of Public Health suicide-prevention award), individual and corporate donations via philanthropic channels including Combined Jewish Philanthropies, and fee-for-service where applicable. The organization maintains a volunteer base of approximately 2,500 annually and runs registered program brands including Visiting Moms, Center for Early Relationship Support, and Your Elder Experts.

JF&CS's differentiated assets include the nationally disseminated Memory Cafe model and Toolkit (used by 600+ organizations), leadership of Dementia Friends Massachusetts, and category-defining intellectual property in dementia social care, which was transitioned in 2025 to the national Memory Cafe Alliance. The agency's strategic plan covers 2025-2030 and codifies expansion across service lines through "Meeting the Moment" initiatives. JF&CS is governed by a Board of Directors (Steven Weil, President) and executive team led by CEO Gail Schulman.

Name

Jewish Family & Childrens Service

Legal name

Jewish Family & Children's Service

Website

https://jfcsboston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1864

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Jewish Family & Children's Service is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1864 in Greater Boston, delivering integrated mental health, disability, older-adult, parenting, and basic-needs services to 14,000+ individuals annually through donations, grants, and contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Guardianship & Conservatorship Services (FSAAANAG), Interagency Coordination & Case Management (VR, DD, Medicaid Waivers) (EDAKANAM)

Keywords

• Human services
• Mental health support
• Disability services
• Older adult care
• Nonprofit social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Waltham

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: State funding from Massachusetts Department of Health for suicide prevention programs. Government contracts support various social service programs.
2. Individual and Corporate Donations: Philanthropic contributions from donors, including leadership giving societies and legacy gifts.
3. Client Assistance Distribution: Distribution of $7 million in client assistance including emergency financial assistance, food aid, and support services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

JF&CS is a nonprofit human services agency that delivers an integrated portfolio of social services across five centers: Center for Early Relationship Support (parenting, home visits, therapy), CHAI Disability Services, Services for Older Adults (care management, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's/dementia, Holocaust survivor care), Center for Basic Needs Assistance (food pantry, legal aid, domestic abuse services), and Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing (helplines, support groups, therapy). The agency combines psychological, logistical, social, legal, and financial assistance under one roof to serve vulnerable individuals and families in Greater Boston, with most services offered free or on a sliding-scale basis.

Product overview

Jewish Family & Children's Service (JF&CS) is a nonprofit social services agency providing an integrated portfolio of human services across Greater Boston. The organization operates multiple interconnected service divisions rather than a single product: Center for Early Relationship Support® (parenting and family services), CHAI Disability Services (disability support), Services for Older Adults (including Schechter Holocaust Services, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's family support programs), Center for Basic Needs Assistance (food pantry, legal services, domestic abuse response), and Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing. Key specialized offerings include the Charlotte & Richard Okonow Parkinson's Family Support program with arts-based therapies, the JF&CS Memory Cafe and Dementia Friends Massachusetts education initiative, Family Table Food Pantry, and helplines such as Parent Connect and Mental Health Connect. These services are designed to work together under one roof to address clients' interconnected needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CHAI Disability Services: Comprehensive support services for people with disabilities focusing on Community, Housing, Access and Independence
• Center for Early Relationship Support
• Family Table
• Bet Tzedek Legal Services
• Your Elder Experts
• Schechter Holocaust Services
• Mental Health Connect
• Charlotte & Richard Okonow Parkinson's Family Support
• JF&CS Memory Cafe
• Betty Ann Greenbaum Miller Center for Jewish Healing
• Parent Connect

Products and services

• Center for Early Relationship Support Provides parenting support, home visits, therapy, and clinical services for new parents and families, including weekly support groups, adoption resources, and infant mental health consultation. Designed for expectant parents, parents of newborns, adoptive parents, and families with premature or fragile newborns.
• CHAI Disability Services Comprehensive support for people with disabilities including residential living, day programming, life skills coaching, supported living, employment services, recreation programs, sibling support, home-based caregiving, and educational advocacy. Serves adults with autism and developmental disabilities, children and young adults with disabilities, and their families.
• Services for Older Adults Care management, support groups, guardianship, caregiver support, Alzheimer's/dementia family support, Parkinson's family support, Jewish healing, grief/bereavement services, and Schechter Holocaust Services for older adults and their families.
• Center for Basic Needs Assistance Includes Family Table Food Pantry, Hebrew Free Loan, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Journey to Safety domestic abuse response, TeenSafe program, and services for the Russian-speaking community. Provides emergency financial assistance, food security, legal aid, and housing guidance.
• Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing Support groups, therapist finder, peer-led support circles, one-on-one coaching, Mental Health Connect helpline, and support for adults, new parents, families with children, and community organizations.
• Parent Connect A free, confidential helpline where parents and caregivers can talk with a JF&CS professional to think things through and find next steps for parenting challenges.
• Your Elder Experts A team of JF&CS professionals who guide older adults and their families through the complexities and challenges of aging well, including care management and consultation.
• Family Table Food Pantry A food pantry providing nutritious food to families in need, recognized as a Healthy Pantry Champion by the Greater Boston Food Bank for nutrition focus; supplies roughly 1.5 million lbs of food annually.
• Bet Tzedek Legal Services Legal aid services providing assistance with civil legal matters, public benefits advocacy, and immigration support.
• Journey to Safety - Response to Domestic Abuse Comprehensive response to domestic abuse including education, outreach, TeenSafe workshops for teens, and resources for survivors of domestic violence; assisted 165 survivor households.
• Charlotte & Richard Okonow Parkinson's Family Support Integrated program for families managing Parkinson's disease including arts-based therapeutic activities (Therapeutic Movement and Dance, Tremble Clefs chorus), education, support groups, and community resources.
• JF&CS Memory Cafe A welcoming monthly gathering for people living with memory changes and their care partners to socialize and enjoy activities in a stigma-free community space; no charge for attendees.
• Dementia Friends Massachusetts International public awareness program led by JF&CS to increase awareness of dementia and reduce stigma, training volunteer Champions to offer hour-long information sessions throughout Massachusetts.
• JF&CS Memory Cafe Percolator

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,000+ lives improved per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

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

• Dementia Friends MassachusettscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJF&CS leads this international public awareness program for dementia in Massachusetts, training volunteer Champions to offer hour-long information sessions. The program is available in many languages and tailored for communities throughout Massachusetts.
• Memory Cafe AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational alliance powered by Dementia Friendly America that now runs the national learning community for Memory Cafes. In 2025, JF&CS passed the Memory Cafe Percolator to this alliance.
• Alzheimer's Association MA/NH ChaptermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Dementia Symposium 2022 along with Dementia Action Alliance and National Council of Dementia Minds.
• Dementia Action AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Dementia Symposium 2022 and collaborator on Memory Cafe leadership guide.
• National Council of Dementia MindsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Dementia Symposium 2022.
• Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging (MCOA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided generous support for Memory Cafe Toolkit development in 2019.
• Lifetime ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in Memory Cafe arts programming development.
• Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner in Dementia Friends Massachusetts education initiatives.
• Inquilinos Boricuas en AcciónminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing Dementia Friends education to Latino community.
• 2Life CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for dementia education and support.
• CJP (Combined Jewish Philanthropies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor community partner and funder supporting JF&CS operations and initiatives.
• Brandeis University Waltham Student GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteers collaborating with JF&CS to host intergenerational Memory Cafe.

Scale indicators26 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: National umbrella organization coordinating 160+ diocesan Catholic Charities agencies delivering integrated social services (food, housing, mental health, elder care, immigration). Comparable in scope of services and vulnerable-population focus, though faith-based rather than specifically Jewish.
• Jewish Federations of North America: National network of 146 Jewish federations, including Combined Jewish Philanthropies (JF&CS's major funder in Boston). Overlapping constituency and funding ecosystem, but operates as a convener/fundraiser rather than direct service provider.
• Alzheimer's Association (MA/NH Chapter): National dementia-focused nonprofit that co-sponsored JF&CS's Dementia Symposium. Comparable in dementia education, caregiver support, and Memory Cafe community-building work, but operates as a national advocacy/research organization with broader scope.

Emerging players

• Memory Cafe Alliance: National alliance that took over the Memory Cafe Percolator from JF&CS in 2025 to run the national Memory Cafe learning community. Directly comparable in mission to scale Memory Cafes, and now serves as the primary US network where JF&CS's toolkit propagates.
• Family Service League: Long Island-based multi-service family and social services agency delivering mental health, senior, and disability services. Comparable as a community-based integrated human services provider, though non-faith-affiliated and serving a different geography.

Regional players

• Greater Boston Food Bank: Regional hunger-relief organization that recognized JF&CS Family Table as a Healthy Pantry Champion. Operates in the same Greater Boston geography with overlapping food-insecure client base, but at much larger scale as a food bank rather than integrated social services agency.

Direct peers

• Jewish Family Service of New York: Large NY-based Jewish family service agency providing mental health, older adult, and family services. Closely comparable integrated care model and populations served, though operating in a denser, more urban geography.
• Jewish Family Service Los Angeles: One of the largest Jewish family service agencies in the US, delivering an integrated multi-service portfolio (mental health, older adult care, refugee/immigrant services, disabilities, food) similar to JF&CS. Highly comparable in mission, target populations, and integrated service model, though operating at much larger scale in LA.
• Jewish Family Services of Detroit: Regional Jewish family service agency offering mental health, disabilities, and aging services. Directly comparable as a community-rooted, multi-service social services provider with similar donor/federation funding model.
• Jewish Family & Children's Services San Francisco: Bay Area counterpart offering an integrated suite of services across mental health, aging, disabilities, and family support with similar Jewish-community-rooted model. Direct comparable in operating philosophy, population segments, and integrated care approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/jfcsboston
• Facebookfacebook.com/jfcsboston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jewish-family-&-children-service-boston/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/jfcsboston
• Xx.com/jfcsboston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Jewish Family & Childrens Service