Kinark

What Kinark does

Kinark Child and Family Services is a Canadian nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1983 and headquartered in Markham, Ontario, that delivers autism, child and youth mental health, and forensic mental health services across Ontario. The organization operates three core service streams — Kinark Autism Services (evidence-based services for children and youth ages 2-18, including free Foundational Family Services under the Ontario Autism Program), Child and Youth Mental Health Services (assessment and treatment by interdisciplinary clinical teams), and Forensic Mental Health and Youth Justice Services (court-ordered assessment, intensive treatment, and re-integration). Kinark serves approximately 11,000 children and youth annually through more than 730 employees and 55 volunteers, functioning as the Lead Agency for child and youth mental health in three Ontario service areas (York Region, Durham Region, Simcoe County, Peterborough, and Northumberland). Specialized programs include the DBT-Kids protocol (first and only Canadian provider), an Outpatient Adolescent Eating Disorder Program developed with Ontario Shores, free virtual counselling via One Stop Talk, 24/7 crisis lines across multiple regions, and a Doctoral Residency Program in Child Clinical Psychology.

Name

Kinark

Legal name

Kinark Child and Family Services

Website

https://kinark.on.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Kinark Child and Family Services is a Canadian nonprofit (founded 1983, Markham, Ontario) delivering autism, mental health, and forensic youth justice services to approximately 11,000 children and youth annually across Ontario, with 730+ employees and Lead Agency status in three service areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Mental Health Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH), Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK), Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Children's mental health services
• Autism services
• Youth justice services
• Family support programs
• Crisis intervention services

Headquarters

HQ city

Markham

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Public Funding: As a publicly funded organization under the Broader Public Sector (BPS) Act, Kinark receives government funding to deliver services. Services for Ontario Autism Program participants are free, funded through provincial government programs.
2. Ontario Autism Program Services: Free Foundational Family Services provided to families registered in the Ontario Autism Program, including autism services for children and youth ages 2-18, as well as siblings, parents and caregivers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kinark Child and Family Services provides comprehensive support and services encompassing child and youth mental health care, autism services, and forensic mental health treatment for children and youth (ages 2-18) with complex needs in Ontario. The organization delivers three core service streams — Autism Services, Child and Youth Mental Health Services, and Forensic Mental Health & Youth Justice Services — supplemented by specialized programs such as the DBT-Kids therapeutic protocol, Outpatient Adolescent Eating Disorder Program, One Stop Talk virtual counselling, Child & Youth Crisis Services, and Family Education Series.

Product overview

Kinark Child and Family Services operates as a comprehensive child and youth mental health organization serving nearly 11,000 children and youth annually across Ontario. The organization delivers three core service streams: Autism Services (offering evidence-based services to children ages 2-18 and free Foundational Family Services through the Ontario Autism Program), Child and Youth Mental Health Services (full-range assessment and treatment by interdisciplinary clinical teams), and Forensic Mental Health & Youth Justice Services (court-ordered assessment and intensive treatment for complex cases). These core services are supplemented by specialized programs including the DBT-Kids therapeutic program (Ontario's first, Canada's only provider of this protocol), the Outpatient Adolescent Eating Disorder Program (approximately 16 weeks), One Stop Talk virtual counselling (free immediate access to therapists), Child & Youth Crisis Services across multiple regions, Dual Diagnosis Support Program for co-occurring disabilities, and Family Education Series providing free sessions on topics like SNAP, Triple P, and various mental health topics. The organization also operates the Kinark Outdoor Centre and offers a Doctoral Residency Program for psychology training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Purple's Path to Progress: A case study story about a youth named Purple receiving treatment through the Ontario Autism Program's Urgent Response Services at Kinark.
• Kinark Outdoor Centre
• DBT-Kids Program
• Child & Youth Crisis Services

Products and services

• Kinark Autism Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Served close to 11,000 children and youth annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop the Outpatient Adolescent Eating Disorder Program, bridging the gap for clients transitioning between intensive treatment and community-based care.
• York Simcoe Autism Network (YSAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 11 service providers delivering Ontario Autism Program Urgent Response Services in York Region and Simcoe County. In first year, served 323 URS clients with 34% having mental health needs.
• Child Development InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop the Navigating the Middle Years with Self Control guide using SNAP (Stop Now and Plan) program methodologies, providing resources for parents in York, Durham, Simcoe, and Peterborough regions.
• Barrie Police ServiceminorOthersPartnership for Vulnerable Persons Registry (VPR), a community initiative providing police with quick access to critical information about vulnerable individuals during emergencies.
• Durham Regional Police ServiceminorOthersPartnership for Vulnerable Persons Registry (VPR) in Durham Region, connecting vulnerable persons including those with autism, dementia, or acquired brain injuries with emergency services.
• York Regional PoliceminorOthersPartnership for Vulnerable Persons Registry (VPR) in York Region, helping officers access emergency contact and sensitivity information for vulnerable individuals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Kids Help Phone: National Canadian e-mental health service providing free, confidential counselling to youth — comparable to Kinark's One Stop Talk virtual counselling but operating nationally rather than provincially, and across all youth rather than only Ontario-registered families.

Direct peers

• Surrey Place Centre: Toronto-based charitable organization providing developmental services, autism services, and clinical supports for children and adults across Ontario — a direct peer competing for the same OAP and developmental services contracts in overlapping catchments.
• Grandview Children's Centre: Ontario children's treatment centre serving Durham Region (overlapping with Kinark) with autism services, rehabilitation, and developmental pediatric care — directly competing for OAP and CYMH contracts in the same catchment.
• ErinoakKids Centre for Treatment and Development: Ontario children's treatment centre providing autism services (ABA, SLP, OT), medical services, and developmental supports across Halton, Peel, Dufferin, and surrounding regions — a direct competitor for OAP Foundational Family Services contracts.
• Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital: Toronto pediatric rehabilitation hospital providing autism, developmental, and mental health services for children with disabilities — comparable in service mix (ABA, OT, SLP, mental health) and Ontario geography to Kinark's autism stream.

Others

• Children's Mental Health Ontario: Provincial association representing Ontario's publicly funded child and youth mental health centres — not a direct service competitor but a key policy, advocacy, and funding coordination body whose membership includes Kinark.
• Autism Ontario: Provincial autism advocacy and support organization providing navigation, information, and family support — adjacent to Kinark's autism services as a referral source and ecosystem partner rather than a direct clinical competitor.

Broad incumbents

• McMaster Children's Hospital: Pediatric academic tertiary care hospital serving Hamilton and surrounding regions, with mental health, eating disorder, and developmental services that overlap with Kinark's CYMH and eating disorder programs.
• SickKids (Hospital for Sick Children): Canada's largest pediatric academic health sciences centre, providing mental health, developmental, and complex care services — overlapping in forensic mental health and eating disorder programming but operating at significantly larger scale and broader scope than Kinark.
• Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO): Major pediatric academic health sciences centre in Ottawa providing mental health, autism, and developmental services across Eastern Ontario — comparable in mental health and autism service lines but with broader hospital infrastructure and a different geography than Kinark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mykinark

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Kinark