Kids Central

What Kids Central does

Kids Central, Inc. is a private nonprofit (founded 2003) operating as the lead community-based care agency for the Florida Department of Children and Families across Circuit 5, covering Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, and Sumter Counties. Headquartered in Wildwood, FL with offices in Ocala and Tavares, the organization delivers an integrated continuum of child welfare services: foster care licensing and recruitment, adoption placement and post-adoption support, kinship care, family preservation and prevention programs, independent living services for youth aging out of care, Healthy Start maternal/infant health services, MIECHV-Parents As Teachers home visiting, and a Mentoring Program for foster youth ages 16-23. Its wholly-owned subsidiary Community Behavioral Health Approach, LLC (CBHA) operates a contractor network delivering Comprehensive Behavioral Health Assessments. Service delivery is coordinate-and-deliver: Kids Central provides direct case management and subcontracts portions of the care continuum to providers including LSF and YFA.

Revenue is concentrated in fixed-price and per-diem contracts with the Florida DCF (managed services), supplemented by donations and fundraising events (e.g., Boot Scootin' Boogie, HALO Awards, Home for the Holidays). Pricing for service recipients is not applicable as the model is contractually funded. The GTM motion is direct-to-government (lead-agency procurement), with secondary community-outreach channels to recruit foster/adoptive families, mentors, and donors via website, email newsletters, social media, video content, and community events. Technology infrastructure is operational rather than productized: Microsoft Azure AD powers case management SSO, PayPal handles online donations, Google and Facebook Ads support retargeting, and the UserWay widget enables WCAG 2.1 accessibility. Kids Central achieved COA Network Accreditation (2007, reaccredited 2010 and 2015) and the 2015 Governor's Sterling Award, and was the first child welfare agency nationally to receive a state-level, Baldrige-based award.

Name

Kids Central

Legal name

Kids Central, Inc.

Website

https://kidscentralinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Kids Central is a Florida nonprofit lead community-based care agency, contracted with the state Department of Children and Families to deliver foster care, adoption, prevention, and family support services across five counties (Circuit 5).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wildwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: Kids Central is a community-based care lead agency contracted with the Florida Department of Children and Families to provide child welfare services in Circuit 5. The majority of operational funding comes from government contracts.
2. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts donations through its website and fundraising events. Donations support foster children by funding items like sporting league fees, prom tickets, and school yearbooks.
3. Fundraising Events: Annual events such as the Boot Scootin' Boogie (Casino Night) raise funds directly for foster children. The 2025 event raised over $8,000.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kids Central is a nonprofit community-based care lead agency contracted with the Florida Department of Children and Families that delivers a continuum of child welfare services including foster care licensing and adoption placement, family preservation and prevention programs, independent living services for transitioning youth, behavioral health assessments, and child abuse prevention education across Circuit 5 (Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, and Sumter Counties) in Florida.

Product overview

Kids Central operates as a community-based care lead agency contracted with the Florida Department of Children and Families, providing an integrated continuum of child welfare services across Circuit 5 (Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, and Sumter Counties). The organization offers a unified service portfolio centered on foster care and adoption, family preservation and prevention, and youth support programs. Core offerings include Foster & Adoption Services (recruitment, licensing, placement, and post-adoption support), Prevention Programs (kinship care, family resources, domestic violence prevention), Family Support Programs (caregivers, independent living, Healthy Start, MIECHV/Parents As Teachers), and specialized initiatives like the End Kids' Tears prevention campaign and the CBHA behavioral health assessment network. The organization also operates Kids Central Connect as a separate case management access platform. All services are designed to protect children, support family reunification, and achieve permanency outcomes for youth in the child welfare system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foster & Adoption Services Licensing, training, and support for foster families; recruitment, home studies, and placement services for prospective adoptive families and children in the custody of Florida DCF in Circuit 5.
• Prevention Programs Programs designed to prevent child abuse and neglect and reduce the need for out-of-home placement, including the End Kids' Tears prevention program and Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) services.
• Family Support Programs In-home and community-based services to stabilize families at risk of entry into the child welfare system and to support family reunification.
• MIECHV – Parents As Teachers Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program using the Parents As Teachers curriculum to support expectant families and parents of young children in targeted counties.
• Mentoring Program Community volunteer mentoring for youth in foster care and those aging out of care, supporting educational, social, and life-skill development.
• Community Behavioral Health Approach (CBHA) Behavioral health assessment and intervention services integrated with child welfare case management to address mental health and behavioral needs of children and families.
• Case Management Services Comprehensive case management for children in out-of-home care, including placement, supervision, court coordination, and permanency planning.
• Independent Living / Transitional Services Services and supports for youth aging out of foster care, including life skills training, education and employment support, and Extended Foster Care options.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18 children adopted into 13 families at Home for the Holidays 2025 event
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Citizens First BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Gold Sponsor of the 2026 HALO Awards event recognizing foster parents.
• Kevin McDonald Agency (Allstate)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver Sponsor of the 2026 HALO Awards event recognizing foster parents.
• Sumter County Youth Center (Bushnell)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Community partner that generously hosted the Independent Living Back-to-School-Bash event, providing venue space for foster youth activities.
• Sumter CAP - An Initiative of E3 Family Solutions, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Community partner that partnered with Kids Central to bring the Back-to-School-Bash event to life for Independent Living young adults.
• Kiwanis Club of Sumter County, FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Community partner that provided hot dogs and hamburgers for the Independent Living Back-to-School-Bash event.
• Kona Ice of Homosassa/Dade CityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Community partner that provided refreshing frozen treats (Kona Ice) for the Independent Living Back-to-School-Bash event.
• Embellished SalonsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Community partner that helped supply school essentials for young adults at the Independent Living Back-to-School-Bash event.
• Healthy Start AlachuaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership recognized for providing quality maternal and infant health services. Team member Zilkya Camacho received Healthy Start/MIECHV Team Member of the Year award.
• Florida Department of Children and FamiliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKids Central is the contracted lead community-based care agency for Circuit 5 (Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, and Sumter Counties). DCF provides the primary government funding and oversight for child welfare services delivered by Kids Central.
• Community Behavioral Health Approach, LLC (CBHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBHA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kids Central created to establish a network of qualified subcontractors to provide Comprehensive Behavioral Health Assessments for children in Kids Central's care. Services are performed in Circuit 5 by Master's level practitioners.
• Truist BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner of the Year award recipient at the 2025 CARE Awards, recognized for contributions to child welfare.
• Circuit 5 Case Management OrganizationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnering case management and service provider organizations including LSF (Lutheran Services Florida) and YFA (Youth and Family Alternatives) that deliver services under Kids Central's coordination. Objectives and performance targets are aligned and cascaded to these partner organizations.
• LSF (Lutheran Services Florida)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor case management partner receiving the Better Together Award and other recognition at CARE Awards for cross-team collaboration and exceptional service delivery.
• YFA (Youth and Family Alternatives)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner organization receiving recognition at CARE Awards for engaging children and families and community connections.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Embrace Families: Florida CBC lead agency for Orange County and Osceola County, contracted by DCF to deliver child welfare case management, foster care, and adoption services — directly comparable mission and contract structure.
• Camelot Community Care: Community-based care lead agency in Florida providing foster care, adoption, case management, and family preservation services. Operates the same DCF-contracted lead-agency model in different circuits, making it a close structural peer.
• Citrus Health Network: Florida CBC lead agency delivering foster care, adoption, and behavioral health services under contract with the Department of Children and Families. Highly comparable operating model and funding structure to Kids Central.
• 4KIDS of South Florida: Florida nonprofit providing foster care, family preservation, independent living, and mentoring to at-risk youth — overlapping with Kids Central's foster, adoption, independent living, and mentoring service lines within the same DCF contracting ecosystem.
• ChildNet (Broward County): Community-based care lead agency for Broward and Palm Beach counties, providing case management, foster care, and adoption services under Florida DCF contract. Same statewide contracting model and child welfare mandate as Kids Central.
• Brevard Family Partnership: Community-based care lead agency for Brevard County under Florida DCF. Operates the same lead-agency model for foster care, adoption, and family preservation as Kids Central in Circuit 5.
• Communities Connected for Kids: Florida CBC lead agency for Circuit 19 (Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, St. Lucie counties). Directly comparable in scale, scope, and contracting structure as a regional child welfare lead agency.
• Lutheran Services Florida (LSF Health Systems): One of Florida's largest community-based care lead agencies and an explicit case management partner of Kids Central. Operates the same CBC lead-agency model under Florida DCF contracts across multiple circuits, making it the closest functional peer.

Broad incumbents

• Children's Home Society of Florida: One of Florida's largest statewide nonprofit child welfare organizations providing adoption, foster care, and family services across many counties. Broader geographic footprint and portfolio than Kids Central but overlapping core services.
• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Large national nonprofit operating behavioral health and child welfare services, including Florida-based foster care and residential programs. Comparable on the behavioral-health assessment and foster-care delivery dimensions that CBHA and Kids Central operate in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kidscentralinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/KidsCentralinc

Compliance3 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 Kids Central