Arden Shore Child and Family Services

What Arden Shore Child and Family Services does

Arden Shore Child and Family Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit child welfare organization founded in 1898 and headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, operating across Lake, Cook, and McHenry counties. The organization delivers three core programs: Foster Care Services (temporary safe homes and kinship licensing for children removed due to abuse or neglect), Behavioral Health and Support Services (outpatient mental health and substance abuse counseling in English and Spanish), and Intact Family Preservation Services (voluntary in-home support to keep at-risk families together). Its clinical methodology is built on the Attachment, Self-Regulation and Competency (ARC) framework, an evidence-based model for treating traumatic stress, combined with a bilingual, culturally responsive delivery model in which 75% of staff identify as people of color and roughly half are Latino and Spanish-speaking. The organization holds Council on Accreditation (COA) certification (since 2001) and DASA/SUPR licensure for substance abuse treatment.

Arden Shore's revenue model is a mix of government contracts and contributed income. The primary stream is purchase-of-service contracts with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) for foster care and intact family preservation, supplemented by Medicaid managed care billing (BlueCross BlueShield of IL, Molina, Meridian, Aetna, Youthcare) for behavioral health services. Contributed revenue includes foundation grants (Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County, Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation, The Grainger Foundation), United Way funding (since the 2003 merger with Family Services of North Lake County), corporate philanthropy (Wintrust, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, American Place Casino), and individual donations — the latter reaching a record $250,000+ in 2024. The go-to-market is community-based: DCFS referrals drive foster care intake, healthcare system partnerships drive behavioral health referrals, and direct community outreach (events, library open houses, National Child Abuse Prevention Month campaigns) drives foster parent recruitment and donor acquisition.

In 2025, the organization is undergoing a leadership transition: Dr. Dora Maya retired after 25 years as President & CEO, and Maria Velasquez assumed the role in May 2025. The organization serves more than 1,850 children and families annually with a team of approximately 50 staff, and has been recognized as the number one agency in Illinois for permanency achievement in foster care (2020).

Name

Arden Shore Child and Family Services

Legal name

Arden Shore Child and Family Services

Website

https://ardenshore.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arden Shore Child and Family Services is a 125-year-old Illinois nonprofit that provides foster care, behavioral health counseling, and family preservation services to children and at-risk families in Lake, Cook, and McHenry counties through bilingual, trauma-informed care delivered under DCFS contracts and Medicaid billing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Waukegan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: DCFS contracts for foster care and intact family preservation services - primary revenue stream
2. Medicaid Billing: Behavioral health services billed to Medicaid managed care organizations including BlueCross BlueShield of IL, Molina Healthcare, Meridian, Aetna, and Youthcare
3. Foundation Grants: Grant funding from foundations including $100,000 ILCHF grant (2025), Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County grants, The Grainger Foundation support since 2012, Lake County Health Foundation grants
4. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals; record-breaking $250,000+ fundraising in 2024 for 125th anniversary; annual giving campaigns
5. Corporate Philanthropy: Corporate donations and sponsorships; Takeda Pharmaceuticals $30,000 donation; Wintrust corporate donor; American Place Casino partnerships
6. United Way Funding: United Way funded agency since 2003 merger with Family Services of North Lake County

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Arden Shore Child and Family Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers community-based child welfare and family support services across Lake County, Illinois. It operates three core programs—Foster Care Services, Behavioral Health and Support Services (including trauma-informed outpatient counseling in English and Spanish), and Intact Family Preservation Services—designed to prevent family separation, support reunification, and provide therapeutic care for children, adolescents, adults, and families affected by abuse, neglect, or trauma. The organization also runs a Clinical Internship Program to train the next generation of bilingual mental health clinicians.

Product overview

Arden Shore Child and Family Services operates as a community-based nonprofit offering three interconnected core programs: Foster Care Services (providing temporary safe homes for children in crisis), Behavioral Health and Support Services (outpatient mental health and substance abuse counseling for all ages in English and Spanish), and Intact Family Preservation Services (voluntary family support to prevent separation). The organization also offers a Clinical Internship Program for graduate students. Services are designed to work together, with caseworkers and therapists coordinating bilingual support to help families before crises escalate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foster Care Services Provides temporary safe homes for children in crisis due to abuse, neglect, or endangerment. Works with licensed foster parents to assess children's physical and emotional needs, coordinate with biological parents when possible, and support family reunification, kinship placements, respite care, or adoption. Includes specialized kinship licensing that maintains cultural and familial ties.
• Behavioral Health and Support Services Outpatient mental health, trauma-informed, and substance abuse counseling for children, adolescents, adults, and families, delivered in English and Spanish. Uses the evidence-based Attachment, Self-Regulation and Competency (ARC) framework for trauma treatment and accepts Medicaid managed care plans. DASA/SUPR-licensed for substance use disorder intervention.
• Intact Family Preservation Services Voluntary family advocacy and support program for families at risk of separation due to abuse or neglect. Family preservation workers conduct home visits, school visits, and community visits to provide resources, parenting support, and case management so children can remain safely with their families.
• Clinical Internship Program Master's level MSW and MA-Counseling internship and post-graduate clinical internship opportunities that provide training in trauma-informed treatment and ARC framework implementation. Expanded in 2025 via an ILCHF $100,000 grant to grow the bilingual children's mental health workforce in Lake County.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of families remained safely together after completing Intact program in 2023
• +8 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hispanic American Community Education and Services (HACES)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Key partnership for identifying and referring Spanish-speaking children in need of mental health services; serves thousands of immigrant families annually; HACES will refer children while Arden Shore interns provide care and support
• Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner providing contracts for foster care and intact family preservation services; awarded first-ever 'Foster Parent Involvement' award in 2008; assigning cases from McHenry County due to Arden Shore's cultural competencies; exemplary compliance ratings
• Council on Accreditation (COA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccrediting body providing certification that Arden Shore meets highest national best-practice standards; accreditation maintained since 2001 with reaccreditations in 2005, 2009, and 2013
• Family Services of North Lake CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMerged with Arden Shore in 2003, expanding services and becoming a United Way funded agency; added offices in Waukegan and Lake Villa
• Illinois Collaboration on YouthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level collaborative organization; Dr. Maya served on board; Andrea Durbin, CEO, recognized with Rebuilding Children's Lives Award in 2023
• Illinois Partners for Human ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of 800+ human service organizations; Arden Shore participates in advocacy efforts including Springfield legislative meetings; Dr. Maya active member
• Latino Policy ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy advocacy organization addressing Latino community issues; Dr. Maya participates in advocacy efforts at state level
• Casey Family ProgramsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational child welfare organization; Maria Velasquez has partnered with Casey Family Programs to advance child welfare initiatives and bring critical issues to national and international audiences
• Casa InnovationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial innovation organization founded by incoming CEO Maria Velasquez in Colombia to support social entrepreneurs; merged with Festival of the Diaspora (Aspen Institute Project on Belonging)
• Illinois Department of Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing exemplary compliance ratings alongside DCFS and COA; regulatory oversight for behavioral health and substance abuse services

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mercy Home for Boys & Girls: Chicago-based nonprofit serving children and families in crisis with residential, foster care, and after-care programs. Comparable for Illinois child welfare scale and donor-funded nonprofit model.
• Jewish Child & Family Services (JCFS): Chicago-area nonprofit providing behavioral health, family, and child welfare services. Comparable for its regional outpatient mental health and family support model in Chicagoland.
• Brightpoint (formerly Children's Home & Aid): Illinois-based child welfare and family services nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, intact family services, and behavioral health across the state. Most direct peer given identical geographic footprint, DCFS contracting, and program mix including intact family preservation.
• National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP): Multi-state child welfare and behavioral health provider offering foster care, family preservation, and community-based mental health. Direct peer for the intact family preservation + behavioral health + Medicaid-funded mix.
• Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI): Large Illinois human services nonprofit offering foster care, counseling, and family preservation programs. Direct peer for county-level DCFS service delivery and behavioral health services in shared Illinois territory.
• Kids Above All (formerly Kidsource/Lutheran Child & Family Services): Illinois child welfare nonprofit providing foster care, intact family services, and behavioral health programs across the state. Direct peer for DCFS-contracted foster and family preservation services.
• Aunt Martha's Health & Wellness: Illinois-based nonprofit delivering child welfare, behavioral health, and primary care with extensive DCFS and Medicaid contracting. Comparable for its integrated behavioral health + child welfare + government-payor model in Illinois.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago: Large Illinois human services umbrella providing foster care, family services, and behavioral health. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering child welfare + behavioral health services, though across a much wider portfolio than Arden Shore's focused niche.
• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: National nonprofit operating behavioral health and child welfare programs across multiple states. Comparable for trauma-informed and ARC-style clinical frameworks serving at-risk youth and families.
• Volunteers of America Illinois: Illinois branch of national nonprofit providing housing, child welfare, and behavioral health services. Comparable broad-incumbent peer with shared human services, child welfare, and Medicaid-funded programming footprint in Illinois.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ardenshore
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ardenshore
• Xx.com/ardenshore

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Arden Shore Child and Family Services