CAPS Collaborative
CAPS Collaborative is a Massachusetts public educational collaborative founded in 1975 that provides specialized alternative and special education services — including deaf and hard of hearing, autism spectrum, and complex medical needs programs — to 200+ students and adults across 12 member districts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersWestminster, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CAPS Collaborative does
CAPS Collaborative is a Massachusetts public educational collaborative founded in 1975, providing specialized alternative and special education services to students ages 3-22 and adults age 22 and older with autism spectrum disorders, deaf and hard of hearing needs, complex medical and physical challenges, learning disabilities, and social-emotional needs. The organization operates five core programs: The Foley Center for Education (formerly Gateway, the flagship program serving students with broad learning and social-emotional needs); The McCaul School (formerly Senators Program, for students on the autism spectrum); Kelly Day School (for students with complex medical, physical, and sensory challenges); the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Program serving Pre-K through 12; and the newly launched Momentum Adult Day Program in Leominster for adults 22+. Service delivery is based on traditional educational and therapeutic methods rather than a proprietary technology platform, drawing on Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), specialized deaf educators, and occupational, physical, and speech therapists.
The organization is governed as a collaborative of 12 member school districts (with board representation) and serves students from more than 100 districts across Massachusetts, operating 34 classrooms spanning from Orange to Newton. Revenue is generated through member district tuition, non-member district placement fees for Individualized Education Program (IEP)-driven referrals, and state grants including Community-Based Day Support (CBDS) recognition from the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS) for the adult program. Workforce development offerings include the STEP training program (in partnership with Monty Tech) and the AIS Radiance employment partnership with Affordable Interior Systems. Marketing is predominantly organic and referral-driven through member districts, community events, and the capsed.net website, consistent with its status as a public-sector educational entity rather than a commercial vendor.
Recent strategic activity centers on lifecycle extension and capacity expansion: the McCaul School moved into a dedicated Leominster facility in February 2026; the Momentum Adult Day Program launched in late 2025 in a 17,000 sq ft space; and Ayer-Shirley Regional School District became the 12th member district in July 2024 — the first new member in over a decade. The current Executive Director is Sheri D'Annolfo. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and there is no parent company, venture funding, or plans for an IPO, reflecting CAPS' structural status as a nonprofit public educational collaborative under Massachusetts law.
CAPS Collaborative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CAPS Collaborative
- Legal name
- CAPS Collaborative
- Website
- https://capsed.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- CAPS Collaborative is a Massachusetts public educational collaborative founded in 1975 that provides specialized alternative and special education services — including deaf and hard of hearing, autism spectrum, and complex medical needs programs — to 200+ students and adults across 12 member districts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CAPS Collaborative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Special Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Special Education Alternative / Nonpublic Schools (NPS) & Placements (EDAKAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Autism-Specific Schools & Programs (EDAKAAAA), Autism Classroom & School Program Support (Inclusion/Resource) (EDAKAKAC), Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH)
Keywords
Where CAPS Collaborative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Westminster
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
CAPS Collaborative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Member District Fees: CAPS Collaborative operates as a public educational collaborative funded by member school districts. Districts pay membership fees for access to specialized education programs and services for their students with special needs.
- Government and Grant Funding: Receives funding through grants and public education funding channels to support specialized programs including workforce training and adult day services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Member District Services |
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
CAPS Collaborative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CAPS Collaborative provides alternate and special education services through five school-based programs serving students ages 3-22 with autism, deaf and hard of hearing needs, complex medical/physical conditions, and learning/social-emotional differences, plus the Momentum Adult Day Program for adults 22+. Programs are delivered in 34 classrooms across Central and Eastern Massachusetts and are accessed primarily through IEP referrals from member and non-member school districts, with supplemental workforce development through STEP and AIS Radiance partnerships.
Product overview
CAPS Collaborative is a Massachusetts educational organization providing alternate and special education services through multiple distinct programs: the Deaf & Hard of Hearing (DHH) Program serving Pre-K-12 students; The Foley Center for Education (formerly Gateway) for students ages 3-22 with learning and social-emotional needs; Kelly Day School for students with complex medical, physical, and sensory challenges; The McCaul School (formerly Senators Program) for students on the autism spectrum; and the Momentum Adult Day Program for adults 22+. Workforce development offerings include the STEP training program and AIS Radiance partnership. Services span from preschool through adulthood, serving over 200 students across 34 classrooms in Central Massachusetts and beyond.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Foley Center for Education: Flagship program of CAPS welcoming students ages 3-22 with a broad range of learning and social-emotional needs. Formerly known as Gateway.
- The McCaul School
- Kelly Day School
- Deaf & Hard of Hearing (DHH) Program
- Momentum Adult Day Program
Products and services
- Deaf & Hard of Hearing (DHH) Program Pre-K-12 program serving students with a variety of auditory communication needs, including ASL-integrated and inclusion-based learning across Massachusetts.
- The Foley Center for Education Flagship program (formerly Gateway) welcoming students ages 3-22 with a broad range of learning and social-emotional needs.
- Kelly Day School Program welcoming students ages 3-22 who face complex medical, physical, communication, neurological and/or sensory challenges that affect their daily life.
- The McCaul School Program welcoming students ages 3-22 on the autism spectrum who may experience cognitive delays, communication, social and/or sensory challenges (formerly the Senators Program).
- Momentum Adult Day Program Community-based day program for adults age 22 and older with autism, cognitive, communication, social, or sensory differences, focused on independent living, employment, and community integration.
- Specialty Services Specialty services offered by CAPS Collaborative to member districts and students, supplementing classroom programs.
- STEP (Supportive Training Education Program) Nine-week workforce training program for unemployed young adults with disabilities ages 18-35, delivered in partnership with Monty Tech, with training in culinary/hospitality, office/copy center, graphic design, and retail/customer service plus a 2-week paid internship.
Quantifiable outcome
- 200+ students currently enrolled across all programs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use CAPS Collaborative
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CAPS Collaborative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CAPS Collaborative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Affordable Interior Systems (AIS)coreAIS, a Leominster-based American office furniture manufacturer, partners with CAPS through its Radiance Program to provide on-the-job training and meaningful employment for CAPS adult participants. Participants work alongside AIS employees learning professional and technical skills (furniture assembly, production, quality control). Some transition to paid employment. The Radiance Program engages 150+ individuals weekly with 36 job coaches from 16 partner organizations.
- Ayer-Shirley Regional School DistrictcoreASRSD joined as CAPS' 12th member district and first new member in over a decade. District provides representation on CAPS Board of Directors. Superintendent Dr. Adam Renda joined the board. CAPS had previously established DHH programs at Page Hilltop Elementary School in Ayer before membership.
- Monty TechcoreCAPS partners with Monty Tech (Fitchburg, MA) on STEP (Supportive Training Education Program), a 9-week workforce training program for unemployed young adults with disabilities ages 18-35. Training areas include culinary/hospitality, office copy center, graphic design, and retail/customer service. Funded by grant with participants receiving stipends. Includes 2-week paid internship component.
- Bigelow Middle School (Newton, MA)minorDHH students from CAPS participate in Bigelow Middle School's theatrical productions, including 'The Lightning Thief' and 'Artist Retreat'. CAPS provides inclusive programming allowing students to participate in extracurricular activities alongside general student population.
- Redemption Rock ChurchminorHost venue for Gateway graduation ceremonies, located across from CAPS Westminster location.
- Game On FitchburgminorAthletics facility near Westminster location that hosts Gateway basketball team's games in a league designed for alternative education schools.
- Massachusetts Commission for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH)minorState agency that hosted Outstanding Youth Advocate Award ceremony recognizing DHH student Mikey R. for advocacy on behalf of the deaf and hard of hearing community.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CAPS Collaborative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ACCEPT Education Collaborative: Massachusetts educational collaborative serving member districts with alternative and special education programs, very similar cooperative governance model and Central/Eastern MA footprint to CAPS.
- CASE Collaborative: Massachusetts collaborative providing special education and alternative programs to member districts; structurally analogous to CAPS in revenue model (member district tuition) and program mix (K-22 special education).
- LABBB Collaborative: Lexington-area Massachusetts educational collaborative offering K-22 special education programs and transition services; competes for member-district relationships in the same geographic corridor as CAPS.
- SEEM Collaborative: Massachusetts special education collaborative serving member districts with year-round alternative and special education programs; directly comparable to CAPS on funding model and target population.
- The Education Cooperative (TEC): Massachusetts collaborative providing special education, alternative programs, and professional services to member districts; overlapping geography and cooperative structure make it a direct comparable to CAPS.
- Collaborative for Educational Services (CES): Western Massachusetts educational collaborative offering special education and alternative programs to member districts; same nonprofit collaborative model and IEP-driven service delivery as CAPS.
- North Shore Education Collaborative: Massachusetts collaborative serving North Shore member districts with special education and vocational programs; structurally equivalent to CAPS in governance, funding model, and program scope.
- Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech: Specialty school organization serving deaf and hard of hearing students across multiple states; directly comparable to CAPS's DHH program on population served and inclusion-based K-12 approach.
- Perkins School for the Blind: Massachusetts-based special education school serving students with visual impairments and additional disabilities; comparable to CAPS in lifespan-approach programming and specialized-district placement model.
Broad incumbents
- May Institute: Large, multi-state provider of autism and IDD services including schools, adult programs, and ABA services; broader portfolio than CAPS but overlapping on autism education and adult day/community-based services in Massachusetts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CAPS Collaborative social profiles
Digital presenceCAPS Collaborative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CAPS Collaborative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
CAPS Collaborative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CAPS Collaborative M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CAPS Collaborative
What does CAPS Collaborative do?
CAPS Collaborative provides alternate and special education services through five school-based programs serving students ages 3-22 with autism, deaf and hard of hearing needs, complex medical/physical conditions, and learning/social-emotional differences, plus the Momentum Adult Day Program for adults 22+. Programs are delivered in 34 classrooms across Central and Eastern Massachusetts and are accessed primarily through IEP referrals from member and non-member school districts, with supplemental workforce development through STEP and AIS Radiance partnerships.
Is CAPS Collaborative a public or private company?
CAPS Collaborative is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was CAPS Collaborative founded?
CAPS Collaborative was founded in 1975. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is CAPS Collaborative based?
CAPS Collaborative is headquartered in Westminster, United States, in the North America region.
How does CAPS Collaborative make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Member District Fees are the primary driver. The others are government and Grant Funding.
Who are CAPS Collaborative's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ACCEPT Education Collaborative, CASE Collaborative, LABBB Collaborative, SEEM Collaborative, The Education Cooperative (TEC), Collaborative for Educational Services (CES), North Shore Education Collaborative, Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech and Perkins School for the Blind. May Institute is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does CAPS Collaborative have an API?
No public API is recorded for CAPS Collaborative.
What industry is CAPS Collaborative in?
CAPS Collaborative's product category is Special Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAKAAAF, Special Education Alternative / Nonpublic Schools (NPS) & Placements, with a secondary code of EDAKAAAA, Autism-Specific Schools & Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.