Fostering Change for Children

What Fostering Change for Children does

Fostering Change for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services organization headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, that addresses chronic caseworker turnover in the U.S. child welfare system. Originally founded in 2005 as Changing the World One Child at a Time (CTWOCAT) and rebranded in 2011, the organization runs the Children's Corps program as its flagship intervention: a structured pipeline that recruits BSW and MSW graduates, trains them through a cohort-based Academy, and places them in two-year commitments at partner child welfare agencies across NYC's five boroughs and Westchester County. Since 2011, over 500 corps members have been placed, with reported first-year retention of 80% versus a 60-65% NYC benchmark.

The organization supplements the placement program with a portfolio of workforce development services sold to child welfare agencies. These include the Training & Coaching Program (covering workforce development, therapeutic caregiver training, and permanency-focused modules such as Families for Teens), the 4-Pillar Retention Assessment (a needs-assessment and gap-analysis offering built around its proprietary Recruitment, Selection, Training, and Support methodology), and the BSW Scholars Program operated jointly with the NYC Administration for Children's Services (ACS). Delivery shifted to a virtual and hybrid model in 2020 to sustain programming during the pandemic.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: individual and corporate donations (including matching gifts and in-kind contributions), planned giving vehicles such as donor-advised funds, charitable bequests, and life insurance policy donations, and fees from training, coaching, and retention-assessment services delivered to agencies. Corps member salaries are paid by the host agencies, not by Fostering Change for Children. The organization serves child welfare professionals (caseworkers, supervisors, agency leaders), the public agencies that employ them, and indirectly the children and families in the foster care system, with a geographic concentration in the New York metropolitan area and a smaller national footprint through its training practice.

Name

Fostering Change for Children

Legal name

Fostering Change for Children

Website

https://fosteringchangeforchildren.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fostering Change for Children is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that recruits, trains, and places frontline child welfare workers through its Children's Corps program, serving NYC and Westchester agencies and addressing caseworker turnover with coaching, retention assessments, and specialized training services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare Workforce Development

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Child welfare workforce
• Workforce development training
• Social services nonprofit
• Caseworker retention programs
• Foster care support

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization generates revenue through individual donations, corporate donation matching programs, in-kind donations of services (printing, marketing), and high-value items for raffles. Donations support the mission of helping children, youth, and families involved in the child welfare system.
2. Planned Giving and Estate Vehicles: Revenue generated through Donor Advised Funds, life insurance policy donations, charitable bequests through wills/trusts, and living trust beneficiary designations.
3. Training Services: FCFC offers specialized training and coaching programs for the child welfare workforce utilized by over 25 NYC agencies and several others nationally. Programs include workforce development training, therapeutic caregiver training, and retention assessments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fostering Change for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that recruits, trains, and supports frontline child welfare caseworkers through its flagship Children's Corps program and places them at partner child welfare agencies across NYC and Westchester County. It complements placement with specialized training programs, coaching, retention assessments, and scholarships designed to address chronic caseworker turnover in the child welfare system.

Product overview

Fostering Change for Children operates as a nonprofit social services organization offering a unified suite of child welfare workforce development programs, rather than a software product. The core offering is the Children's Corps program, a workforce model established in 2011 that has placed over 500 frontline staff into the NYC child welfare system. Supporting programs include the BSW Scholars Program (joint program with NYC ACS for undergraduate students), Training & Coaching services with specific modules (Therapeutic Caregiver Training, Families for Teens, Workforce Development Training including Executive Coaching), the 4-Pillar Retention Assessment for agency analysis, and the Viviane DeMilly Scholarship for alumni pursuing graduate degrees. These programs work together to recruit, train, support, and retain child welfare professionals while improving outcomes for children and families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Children's Corps Flagship two-year workforce development program that recruits candidates, runs them through a training Academy, and places them at partner child welfare agencies across NYC's five boroughs and Westchester County. Uses a 4-Pillar retention model (Recruitment, Selection, Training, Support) and achieves 80% first-year retention versus a 60-65% NYC average.
• BSW Scholars Program Three-year pathway program in partnership with NYC ACS offering eligible undergraduate social work students senior-year field placement followed by full-time employment at NYC child welfare agencies.
• Training & Coaching Program Specialized workforce development training and coaching delivered to child welfare agencies, featuring experiential learning, trauma-informed coaching, and varied delivery techniques.
• Foster Care & Permanency Trainings Training and coaching offerings for child welfare professionals, including the Therapeutic Caregiver Training program and the Families for Teens program focused on permanency outcomes for older youth in foster care.
• 4-Pillar Retention Assessment Consultative assessment that evaluates an agency's retention strategies through needs assessment and gap analysis, producing a report with recommendations across four pillars: Orientation, Assessment, Comprehensive Report, and Ongoing Support.
• Viviane DeMilly Scholarship Scholarship awarded to Children's Corps alumni pursuing a Master of Social Work (MSW) graduate degree.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% caseworker retention rate after one year, compared to 60-65% NYC average
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Brooklyn Price CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership established in 2018 to support LGBTQ+ youth through Fostering Change for Children's programs.
• PowerOn from LGBT TechminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership with PowerOn from LGBT Tech in 2018 where UpFront participants began receiving technology like phones, power banks, tablets, and laptops to support their participation in the program.
• New Alternatives for ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Early partner organization for the Adoptment program expansion in 2006, working to address challenges in the child welfare system.
• Hillside RochesterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Partner organization for Adoptment program expansion in 2006, supporting best-practice approaches to child welfare challenges.
• New York City Administration for Children's Services (ACS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYC ACS is the primary government partner for the BSW Scholars program and Children's Corps. Together, the BSW Scholars program offers eligible candidates a three-year journey leading to full-time employment in NYC's child welfare agencies. ACS provides senior year field placement opportunities for BSW Scholars.
• NYC Child Welfare AgenciescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 25 NYC partner agencies where Children's Corps members are placed for two-year commitments. Placements located throughout NYC's five boroughs and Westchester County. Agencies include foster care, prevention, and residential programs.
• Children's AidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFCFC supports the Fostering Youth Success Alliance at Children's Aid, led by CC Class of 2016 alumna Deidra Nesbeth, focusing on youth-centered advocacy and policy work.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Boys Town: National child and family services organization running residential, in-home, and workforce training programs with strong brand recognition. Comparable to FCFC in combining direct child welfare services with professional training for the child welfare workforce.
• Casey Family Programs: Large national foundation operating its own direct child welfare services and funding system reform. Comparable to FCFC in targeting long-term foster care outcomes and caseworker effectiveness, but at much greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Child Welfare League of America: National membership and advocacy organization for child welfare agencies, providing training, standards, and workforce resources. Comparable to FCFC in offering child welfare workforce training and influencing agency practice nationwide.
• National CASA / GAL Association for Children: National network supporting volunteer advocates for children in foster care, with training and workforce development at its core. Comparable to FCFC in operating a volunteer/professional training model aimed at improving outcomes for foster children.

Direct peers

• MercyFirst: Long Island- and NYC-area child welfare nonprofit offering foster care, residential, and family services. Comparable to FCFC in providing direct services within the NYC metro child welfare system.
• KidsPeace: National child welfare nonprofit providing residential, foster care, and behavioral health services with strong workforce training programs. Comparable to FCFC in combining direct services with workforce development for child welfare professionals.
• Children's Aid: Major NYC child welfare and youth services nonprofit and existing FCFC partner (Fostering Youth Success Alliance). Comparable mission, NYC geographic overlap, and direct collaboration with FCFC leadership alumni.
• The New York Foundling: One of NYC's largest child welfare and family services nonprofits, providing foster care, adoption, and workforce programs across the same geography and client base as FCFC. Highly comparable on mission, target population, and NYC footprint.
• Graham Windham: NYC-based child welfare and family services organization delivering foster care, prevention, and education programs. Comparable to FCFC in serving NYC foster youth and in operating across the same child welfare agencies that host Children's Corps placements.

Regional players

• Children's Home Society of California: California-based child welfare and adoption services nonprofit operating a similar foster care, adoption, and training portfolio. Comparable to FCFC in service mix but focused on a different state geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fosteringchange
• Facebookfacebook.com/fosteringchangeforchildren
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2377145

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fostering Change for Children