Greenlight Family Services
Greenlight Family Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003 that provides adoption, guardianship, legal, counseling, and post-adoption services to more than 3,000 families and 1,500 students annually across all 102 counties of Illinois.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Greenlight Family Services does
Greenlight Family Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services organization founded in 2003 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with a secondary office in Springfield. The organization provides adoption, guardianship, legal, counseling, post-adoption, and mediation services to families throughout Illinois. Its core service portfolio spans six practice areas (infant, kinship, adult, co-parent, standby, and stepparent adoption), minor and adult guardianship, home studies, sexual assault counseling for college students (20 free sessions per client at more than 26 campuses), and educational advocacy for adopted children. The organization holds Illinois adoption agency License No. 510249-06 and has served all 102 Illinois counties since 2003, reaching more than 3,000 families and 1,500 students annually.
The business model is a hybrid of professional-services fees, grant funding, and event fundraising. Adoption and legal services are provided on a sliding-fee scale tied to household income; DCFS-referred foster parent adoptions and sexual assault counseling are free of charge to clients; the Angel Adoption infant home-study pathway uses a flat fee structure. Grants from foundations (Wendy's Wonderful Kids/Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, $140,000; VNA Foundation, $50,000) and individual donations underwrite free service lines, while annual galas (e.g., 2022 Gala raised more than $140,000) provide additional unrestricted funding.
Operations are conducted through two Chicago offices (3636 S. Iron St., Suite 240 and 4809 N. Ravenswood Ave., Suite 322) and one Springfield office (1 W Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 714, opened July 2019), supplemented by virtual counseling services across Illinois. Client acquisition flows primarily through DCFS referrals, university partnerships, the Speaker's Bureau, and direct outreach via phone (773-728-7800) and online intake forms. Leadership consists of CEO Dr. Maria Nanos (LCSW, PhD, with leadership continuity dating to 2004 through the Porchlight Counseling Services acquisition) and COO Ruth McMahon; the organization is women-owned and women-run, with 100% of senior leadership and 94% of team members being women.
Greenlight Family Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Greenlight Family Services
- Legal name
- Greenlight Family Services
- Website
- https://greenlightfamilyservices.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Greenlight Family Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003 that provides adoption, guardianship, legal, counseling, and post-adoption services to more than 3,000 families and 1,500 students annually across all 102 counties of Illinois.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Greenlight Family Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Family Social Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)
Keywords
Where Greenlight Family Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Greenlight Family Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Legal and Adoption Service Fees: Greenlight provides adoption and legal services using a sliding fee scale based on household income for most families. Services are free for DCFS foster parent adoptions. For infant adoptions via Angel Adoption partnership, a flat fee is charged for home study services.
- Grants and Donations: Greenlight receives grant funding from organizations such as the VNA Foundation ($50,000 grant) and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids/Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption ($140,000 grant). Individual donations are solicited through the website and events.
- Event Fundraising: Annual gala events and Love + Light benefit events raise funds for the organization’s mission. The 2022 Gala raised more than $140,000.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | DCFS Foster Parent Adoption - Free |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Non-D CFS Adoption - Sliding Scale |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Infant Adoption Home Study - Flat Fee |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Sexual Assault Counseling - Free |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Non-D CFS Brief Counseling - Sliding Scale |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Greenlight Family Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Greenlight Family Services is a licensed Illinois adoption agency (License No. 510249-06) and social services provider that delivers adoption, guardianship, legal, kinship care, post-adoption, and counseling services to Illinois families. Core offerings include DCFS foster-parent adoption, infant adoption (in partnership with Angel Adoption), home study preparation, minor and adult guardianship, sliding-scale legal services for grandfamilies, and free campus-based sexual assault counseling.
Product overview
Greenlight Family Services is a social services organization offering a comprehensive suite of family support services in Illinois. The portfolio includes adoption services (infant, kinship, adult, co-parent, standby, and stepparent adoption), guardianship services (adult, minor, short-term, and standby), legal services, counseling services for sexual assault survivors, post-adoption support, and a Kinship Care Program. The organization partners with the Wendy's Wonderful Kids foundation for adoption recruitment and provides home study services and educational advocacy as specialized service modules within its broader offering.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Greenlight Counseling: Sexual assault counseling services for campus survivors, formerly Porchlight Counseling Services
- Adoption Listing Service of Illinois (ALSI)
- Heart Gallery of Illinois
Products and services
- Adoption Services Comprehensive adoption services for Illinois families including infant adoption, kinship/relative adoption, adult adoption, co-parent adoption, standby adoption, and stepparent adoption. Services include home studies and legal representation, with sliding-scale fees for most families and free services for DCFS foster-parent adoptions.
- Guardianship Services Legal guardianship services for minors and adults, including short-term guardianship, standby guardianship, and adult guardianship for disabled individuals. Targeted at grandparents, relatives, and other caregivers needing legal authority to make educational, medical, and benefits decisions for children or disabled adults in their care.
- Legal Services Legal services including legal custody, adoption legal representation, guardianship legal services, home studies, and grandfamilies support. Provided on a sliding-scale fee basis based on household income, in partnership with the Illinois Department on Aging and Illinois Bar Foundation.
- Counseling Services (Greenlight Counseling) Trauma-informed sexual assault counseling services for college and graduate students, providing 20 free therapy sessions per qualifying survivor of sexual harm. Services are delivered via partnerships with more than 26 Chicago-area university campuses and via telehealth statewide, reaching more than 1,500 students through outreach annually.
- Post-Adoption Services Ongoing support services for families who have adopted or obtained guardianship of children from the foster care system, including placement support and educational advocacy for adopted children.
- Kinship Care Program Support services for relatives raising relatives, helping kinship caregivers navigate the legal and social challenges of caring for family members' children. Represents 72% of Greenlight's adoption and guardianship clients.
- Wendy's Wonderful Kids Program A signature program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption operated by Greenlight in Illinois, using the evidence-based Child-Focused Recruitment Model to find forever families for children in foster care.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3,000+ families served annually
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Greenlight Family Services
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Greenlight Family Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Greenlight Family Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Angel AdoptioncoreGreenlight Family Services partnered with Angel Adoption as of January 1, 2026. Greenlight is now Angel Adoption's preferred licensed adoption agency in Illinois. Greenlight's role is to complete home studies for families matched with birth parents through Angel Adoption.
- Wendy's Wonderful Kids (Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption)coreSince 2017, Greenlight has been designated as an Illinois partner for Wendy's Wonderful Kids, a signature program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Greenlight employs Family Development Specialists who implement the evidence-based Child-Focused Recruitment Model to match youth in care with forever families.
- Chicago Area UniversitiescoreGreenlight Counseling partners with Chicago area universities and private practice therapists to provide 20 free therapy sessions to student survivors of sexual harm. Services are available at more than 26 campuses.
- Illinois Department on AgingcoreGreenlight partners with the Illinois Department on Aging to eliminate legal barriers for grandfamilies by offering sliding-scale adoption and guardianship services.
- Illinois Bar FoundationcoreGreenlight partners with the Illinois Bar Foundation to eliminate legal barriers for grandfamilies by offering sliding-scale adoption and guardianship services.
- Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)coreGreenlight provides DCFS foster parent adoption services free of cost and manages the Adoption Listing Service of Illinois, the state adoption information call number (1-800-572-2390) for the entire state.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Greenlight Family Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption: National adoption-focused foundation operating the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program; funder and partner (not direct competitor) but operates an overlapping recruitment model and is the parent program of Greenlight's flagship adoption recruitment initiative.
Direct peers
- Gladney Center for Adoption: Texas-based nonprofit licensed adoption agency with domestic, international, and foster adoption programs plus post-adoption support. Comparable service mix, funding model, and mission-aligned family focus.
- Children Awaiting Parents: National nonprofit recruitment program for older youth in foster care awaiting adoption; closely overlaps with Greenlight's Wendy's Wonderful Kids adoption recruitment services for hard-to-place children.
- Nightlight Christian Adoptions: Multi-state nonprofit adoption agency offering domestic infant adoption, foster care adoption, home studies, and post-adoption services. Direct competitor for out-of-state agency partnerships in Illinois.
- Adoption Center of Illinois (formerly ASC Illinois): Illinois-based nonprofit agency providing pregnancy counseling, adoption services, and post-adoption support in the same state market as Greenlight. Closely comparable in client population and adoption service offerings.
- Lutheran Social Services of Illinois: Statewide Illinois nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, counseling, and senior services. Operates with a comparable multi-service family support model in the same geography as Greenlight.
- The Cradle: Evanston, Illinois-based nonprofit licensed adoption agency founded in 1923 offering domestic and international adoption, home studies, and post-adoption services. Operates in the same Illinois catchment with a comparable service mix to Greenlight.
- Children's Home & Aid: Illinois-based nonprofit providing adoption, foster care, family counseling, and youth services across the state. Direct competitor in the same Illinois geography with overlapping service lines including adoption and family counseling.
Broad incumbents
- Bethany Christian Services: One of the largest U.S. nonprofit adoption and foster care agencies with nationwide offices, offering a comprehensive family services portfolio that directly overlaps with Greenlight's core offerings.
- Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago: Large Illinois social services provider offering adoption, family counseling, and immigration legal services among a broader portfolio. Competes with Greenlight for state contracts, DCFS referrals, and kinship care clients.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Greenlight Family Services social profiles
Digital presenceGreenlight Family Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Greenlight Family Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Greenlight Family Services subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Greenlight Family Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Greenlight Family Services 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 Greenlight Family Services
What does Greenlight Family Services do?
Greenlight Family Services is a licensed Illinois adoption agency (License No. 510249-06) and social services provider that delivers adoption, guardianship, legal, kinship care, post-adoption, and counseling services to Illinois families. Core offerings include DCFS foster-parent adoption, infant adoption (in partnership with Angel Adoption), home study preparation, minor and adult guardianship, sliding-scale legal services for grandfamilies, and free campus-based sexual assault counseling.
Is Greenlight Family Services a public or private company?
Greenlight Family Services is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Greenlight Family Services founded?
Greenlight Family Services was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Greenlight Family Services based?
Greenlight Family Services is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Greenlight Family Services make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Legal and Adoption Service Fees are the primary driver. The others are grants and Donations and event Fundraising.
Who are Greenlight Family Services's main competitors?
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is listed as an others. Direct peers are Gladney Center for Adoption, Children Awaiting Parents, Nightlight Christian Adoptions, Adoption Center of Illinois (formerly ASC Illinois), Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, The Cradle and Children's Home & Aid. Broad incumbents are Bethany Christian Services and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Does Greenlight Family Services have an API?
No public API is recorded for Greenlight Family Services.
What industry is Greenlight Family Services in?
Greenlight Family Services's product category is Family Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAE, Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services. Its NAICS code is 624110 and its SIC code is 8300.