Family Builders

What Family Builders does

Family Builders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foster family and adoption agency founded in 1976 and headquartered in Alameda, California (with a secondary Oakland office), dedicated to building permanent families for children and youth in the California foster care system. The organization is licensed to serve families across 10 Bay Area counties (San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Marin, and Yolo) and operates a portfolio of programs including Foster Care to Adoption, Adoption SF (a San Francisco County collaboration), Older Youth Permanency services, the Youth Acceptance Project for LGBTQ+ and gender-expansive youth, the getR.E.A.L. California SOGIE competency initiative, and California Kids Connection, the statewide online adoption exchange. Services are delivered through social workers, home visits, monthly virtual orientations, ongoing case management, and post-placement support, with all direct services provided free of charge to families.

The organization's underlying technology footprint is minimal: no proprietary software is described, and the closest technology-mediated offering is the California Kids Connection online registry. Family Builders' value proposition rests on specialized human services expertise rather than technology platforms. Revenue is generated through two channels: (1) donations and fundraising (including an annual Celebration of Family event) and (2) contracted services with county child welfare and juvenile justice agencies for permanency facilitation, psychosocial assessments (homestudies), and resource family approval evaluations, supplemented by Adoption Assistance Program stipends and Medi-Cal coverage routed through the foster/adoption system rather than to Family Builders itself.

Family Builders also operates as a policy and practice leader rather than solely a direct-services provider. Through getR.E.A.L. California, developed with the Center for the Study of Social Policy and the California Department of Social Services, the organization integrates SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression) frameworks into statewide initiatives including Continuum of Care Reform, the Katie A. settlement agreement, California Partners for Permanency, and the California Child Welfare Core Practice Model. Leadership has been stable since 1996 under Executive Director Jill Jacobs, and the organization is governed by an independent board of directors with no parent company, private equity, or venture capital backing.

Name

Family Builders

Legal name

Family Builders

Website

https://familybuilders.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Family Builders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1976 that provides free foster care and adoption services across 10 Bay Area counties, operates California's statewide adoption exchange (California Kids Connection), and runs the getR.E.A.L. California SOGIE competency initiative in partnership with the California Department of Social Services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foster Care and Adoption Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK)

Keywords

• Foster care services
• Adoption services
• Child welfare
• Permanency services
• Family services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a nonprofit organization, Family Builders relies on donations from individuals and organizations to sustain programs and build families for children in foster care. The organization hosts an annual Celebration of Family fundraising event.
2. Contracted Services with Public Agencies: Family Builders provides contracted services to county child welfare and juvenile justice organizations including permanency services, psychosocial assessments (homestudies), and resource family approval evaluations. This represents contracted revenue for facilitating permanency for children in foster care.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Family Builders is a nonprofit foster care and adoption agency that provides recruitment, preparation, training, evaluation, placement, and post-placement support to build permanent families for children and youth in foster care across 10 Bay Area counties. Specialized offerings include the Older Youth Permanency program, the Youth Acceptance Project for LGBTQ+ youth and families, the getR.E.A.L. California statewide SOGIE initiative, California Kids Connection adoption exchange, and contracted permanency services for county child welfare and juvenile justice agencies.

Product overview

Family Builders is a nonprofit foster family and adoption agency offering a coordinated portfolio of services to build permanent families for children in foster care. The core offerings include foster care to adoption services, Adoption SF (a San Francisco county collaboration), and older youth permanency programs. Specialized services include the Youth Acceptance Project for LGBTQ+ families and Get R.E.A.L. California (SOGIE training initiative). California Kids Connection serves as California's adoption exchange registry. All services are provided free to families and are available in English and Spanish throughout the ten Bay Area counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foster Care to Adoption Family Builders' core program guiding families through the foster care and foster-to-adoption process to meet both short-term needs of children in foster care and those needing permanent families. Provided free of charge across 10 Bay Area counties.
• Adoption SF A collaboration between Family Builders and San Francisco County providing recruitment, preparation, training, and evaluations for families in San Francisco and other Bay Area counties seeking to adopt children in foster care in San Francisco County.
• Older Youth Permanency Services focused on creating permanency for older youth in foster care and the juvenile justice system, including reunification, adoption, tribal customary adoption, guardianship, and permanent placement with family.
• Youth Acceptance Project Intervention program working with families of LGBTQ+ and gender-expansive children in foster care, using a psychoeducational model to address misinformation, resistance, fear, and pain, ultimately moving families to acceptance.
• Get R.E.A.L. California Statewide initiative to improve competency and capacity of child welfare organizations and promote healthy sexual and identity development, integrating SOGIE (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity/Expression) framework into California child welfare initiatives including Continuum of Care Reform and the California Child Welfare Core Practice Model.
• California Kids Connection Online registry of children who need permanent adoptive families, serving as the adoption exchange for California. Supports county recruitment efforts and provides post-adoption support and resources.
• Resources for Public Agencies Contracted services to county child welfare and juvenile justice organizations facilitating permanency, including traditional foster care to adoption, older youth permanency services, LGBTQ youth permanency, and psychosocial assessments (homestudies and resource family approval evaluations).

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnergetR.E.A.L. California is a national initiative led by Family Builders in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP). The initiative aims to improve SOGIE competency and capacity of child welfare organizations and promote healthy sexual and identity development of children in California's child welfare system.
• San Francisco CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdoption SF is a collaboration between Family Builders and San Francisco County. Family Builders provides recruitment, preparation, training, and evaluations for families in San Francisco and other Bay Area counties seeking to adopt children in foster care in San Francisco County.
• California Counties (Bay Area)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily Builders provides contracted services to Bay Area county child welfare and juvenile justice organizations to facilitate permanency for children and youth in foster care. This includes traditional foster care to adoption, older youth permanency services, and permanency for LGBTQ children and youth.
• California Department of Social ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnergetR.E.A.L. California works with the California Department of Social Services and counties to develop and integrate SOGIE framework into statewide initiatives including Continuum of Care Reform, Katie A. settlement agreement implementation, California Partners for Permanency, and California Child Welfare Core Practice Model.
• California Kids ConnectioncoreOthersCalifornia Kids Connection is an online registry of children who need permanent adoptive families, operated by Family Builders as the adoption exchange for the State of California. It supports county recruitment efforts and helps match children with families who can meet their needs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Seneca Family of Agencies: Seneca is a Bay Area-based nonprofit serving children and families through intensive permanency, mental health, and Wraparound services, including contracted county work and LGBTQ+ inclusive programming. It overlaps significantly with Family Builders' foster care, permanency, and county-contracted service lines.
• Children's Home Society of California: Children's Home Society of California is a statewide nonprofit offering adoption, foster care, and child welfare services across California. Like Family Builders, it operates recruitment, preparation, and placement programs with county contracts.
• Fred Finch Youth & Family Services: Fred Finch is an Oakland-based nonprofit providing mental health, residential, and community-based services for children, youth, and families. Its Bay Area focus and wraparound service model align with Family Builders' direct service portfolio.
• A Better Way: A Better Way is a Bay Area nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, and mental health services to children and families involved in the child welfare system. It is the closest direct peer to Family Builders in geography, mission, and service mix across the Bay Area.
• Our Family Coalition: Our Family Coalition is a San Francisco-based nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ families through education, advocacy, and family acceptance services. It is the closest peer to Family Builders' Youth Acceptance Project work in both geography and mission.
• Lutheran Social Services of Northern California: Lutheran Social Services of Northern California offers refugee services and Unaccompanied Refugee Minors foster care programs across Northern California. Its county-contracted foster care model in overlapping Bay Area counties is directly comparable.
• Huckleberry Youth Programs: Huckleberry Youth Programs is a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit serving at-risk youth with counseling, crisis intervention, and family support services. Its youth- and family-focused continuum overlaps with Family Builders' permanency and family acceptance programs.
• Koinonia Family Services: Koinonia Family Services is a California nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, and residential services for children and youth, including older youth and those with complex needs. It is comparable in operating model and California footprint.

Others

• National Center for Adoption and Permanency: National Center for Adoption and Permanency is an Oakland-based nonprofit providing adoption search, support, and permanency services across California. It is comparable in mission and Bay Area base, complementing Family Builders' permanency work from a search-and-support angle.

Broad incumbents

• Boys Town National Research Hospital (California sites): Boys Town is a national nonprofit operating residential, family-style programs for at-risk children and families, with growing California operations. As a much larger incumbent, it competes for similar county and state child welfare contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/family_builder
• Facebookfacebook.com/FamilyBuilders

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 Family Builders