Merrymount Children's Centre

What Merrymount Children's Centre does

Merrymount Children's Centre (legal name: Merrymount Family Support and Crisis Centre) is a registered Ontario charitable nonprofit, founded in 1874 and headquartered at 1064 Colborne Street in London, Ontario. The organization provides children's mental health services, family support, and supervised access programming to children aged 0-12 and their families across London/Middlesex, Elgin, and Oxford counties, serving 8,000+ children and 2,500 families annually. Service delivery is grounded in trauma-informed and strength-based clinical approaches delivered by trained practitioners, with no proprietary technology platform; the operating stack consists of standard nonprofit tools (Google Analytics, Zoom, Trellis for event registration, Donate A Car Canada for vehicle donations) and a website built on Squarespace.

The organization's product portfolio comprises seven integrated programs: the Child Mental Wellness Program (24/7 Skyscrapers residential care for ages 4-12 in an 18-bed facility plus the Sunrise day program for ages 0-5), the Supervised Access Program (operated from three physical sites in London, St. Thomas, and Woodstock for high-conflict custody exchanges and parenting time), All Kids Belong (inclusion support for children with diverse needs in licensed childcare), Parenting Groups (virtual programs including Circle of Security and Compassion-Focused Parenting), Children's Groups (art therapy and peer support including the SibWorks program with Vanier Children's Mental Wellness), and Community Outreach (CAPC, FIT, and MAPP for vulnerable families with young children).

Merrymount's revenue model is a hybrid of government grants and philanthropic fundraising. The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Education fund licensed residential and childcare programs; the organization must additionally raise $875,000 CAD annually through donations, corporate sponsorships, and signature events (Golf Classic, Gala, Family Beach Fest). The Supervised Access Program charges income-based fees to participants, while the Child Mental Wellness Program is delivered free of charge to families. The organization was awarded four-year Canadian Centre for Accreditation (CCA) accreditation in December 2025, its second consecutive accreditation cycle. Leadership comprises Executive Director Michelle Franklin, Director of Finance Richard Macgregor, Director of Philanthropy Bailey Tschirsow, and Board Chair Melanie Morgan, with oversight from a volunteer Board of Directors and the separate Merrymount Foundation Inc. (established 1978).

Name

Merrymount Children's Centre

Legal name

Merrymount Family Support and Crisis Centre

Website

https://merrymount.on.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1874

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Merrymount Children's Centre is a London, Ontario-based nonprofit, founded 1874, that provides children's mental health, family support, and supervised access services to 8,000+ children and 2,500 families annually across three Ontario counties, funded by provincial ministries, donations, and signature fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Mental Health and Family Support Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Inclusive Early Intervention & Transition-to-Preschool Services (EDACAFAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transition & School-Readiness Support for Special Needs Children (HSAAAIAO), Inclusive / Special-Needs Childcare Centers (EDACAAAH), Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Children's mental health services
• Residential child care
• Supervised access services
• Family support programs
• Parenting education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Merrymount receives government funding from Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and Ministry of Education for licensed residential programs and childcare services.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and annual fundraising events. The organization must raise $875,000 annually in addition to government funding.
3. Supervised Access Program Fees: Fees based on income for supervised parenting time and exchange services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Merrymount Children's Centre is an accredited children's mental health and family crisis centre providing 24/7 crisis care, day programming, parenting education, supervised access for high-conflict families, and inclusion support for children with diverse needs. Services are delivered through the Child Mental Wellness Program (Sunrise and Skyscrapers), the Supervised Access Program, All Kids Belong, Parenting Groups, Children's Groups, and Community Outreach programs (CAPC, FIT, MAPP) for children aged 0-12 and their families across London/Middlesex, Elgin, and Oxford counties.

Product overview

Merrymount Children's Centre is an accredited children's mental health centre offering a portfolio of integrated programs for children aged 0-12 and their families. The core offering centers on the Child Mental Wellness Program (Sunrise and Skyscrapers components), supplemented by the Supervised Access Program, All Kids Belong inclusion services, Parenting Groups, Children's Groups, and Community Outreach programs including CAPC and FIT. The organization serves London/Middlesex, Elgin, and Oxford counties, providing crisis care, day programming, and community-based early years support through a trauma-informed, strength-based approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Mental Wellness Program (CMWP) A comprehensive mental health program for children aged 0-12 providing 24/7 crisis support and day programming via two components: Sunrise (Monday-Friday, 7am-4pm, children 0-5) and Skyscrapers (24/7 crisis residential care for children 4-12 in an 18-bed facility). Delivered through trauma-informed, strength-based clinical approaches.
• Supervised Access Program Provides safe, child-focused environment for families experiencing high-conflict separation or divorce. Services include supervised parenting time (maximum 2-hour visits every two weeks) and supervised exchanges with staggered arrival times to prevent parent contact. Delivered across three sites: London-Middlesex, Elgin County, and Oxford County. Fees are income-based unless specified in a court order.
• All Kids Belong Promotes inclusion of children with diverse needs into licensed child-care settings. Resource Consultants provide case management, training, developmental screening, and support for community child-care programs and Before/After School Programs.
• Parenting Groups Virtual parenting programs including Circle of Security Parenting (8 sessions), Compassion Focused Parenting (6 sessions), Parenting and Separation/Divorce workshop, and Secure Roots Programming for Elgin County families.
• Children's Groups Mental health and wellness programs for children including Heroes (self-esteem through art therapy, ages 6-12), My Parents Don't Live Together (art therapy for separation/divorce, ages 6-12), SibWorks (peer support for siblings of children with mental health concerns, ages 8-12, in partnership with Vanier Children's Mental Wellness), and concurrent parent-child programs like Anxiety to Resilience and Understanding ADHD.
• Community Outreach Drop-in and support programs including Mutual Aid Parenting Program (MAPP), Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) for families with children birth to 6 facing poverty or isolation, and Families and Infants Together (FIT) for high-risk infants aged 0-2 (in partnership with Children's Aid Society of London and Middlesex).
• Merrymount Merch Store Official Merrymount apparel and merchandise available online through a third-party branded-merch storefront. Each item is made to order and typically ships within two weeks. Proceeds support children and families served by Merrymount.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,000+ children and 2,500 families served annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• London & Area Jeep Owners ClubminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2026Community organization partnering with Merrymount for annual London Jeepfest event. Fifth annual event scheduled for May 9, 2026 at Oxford Dodge.
• Oxford DodgeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2026Automotive dealer hosting London Jeepfest event venue and providing prizes including chance to win a Jeep for the weekend.
• Canadian Centre for Accreditation (CCA)coreOthers · 12 December 2025CCA is a national non-profit offering bilingual accreditation for community-based health and social service organizations. Merrymount received four-year accreditation through CCA's joint initiative involving Children's Mental Health Ontario, Family Service Ontario, and other associations.
• Heeman'sminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 November 2025Heeman's JOYful Selfie Wall campaign donates $10 to Merrymount for every social media post tagged @heemans and @merrymountlondon.
• Vanier Children's Mental WellnesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSibWorks peer support program runs in partnership with Vanier Children's Mental Wellness. The program supports siblings aged 8-12 who have a sibling with mental health concerns.
• Thames Valley Alternative Secondary SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram designed to assist secondary school-aged students who are pregnant or new parents to continue education while learning about parenting responsibilities. Site located at Merrymount.
• Kits for a CauseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate/group volunteering program that enables organizations to assemble care kits for individuals in need. Accommodates groups of 3 to 10,000.
• Children's Aid Society of London and MiddlesexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for Families and Infants Together (FIT) program identifying high-risk infants 0-2 years.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Family Service Perth-Huron: Adjacent Southwestern Ontario family service agency offering counselling, supervised access, and parenting programs — substantial overlap with Merrymount's Supervised Access, parenting, and family support programs in a neighbouring region.
• Boys & Girls Club of London: London-based youth development non-profit offering after-school programs and youth services. Comparable in mission (strengthening children and families) and regional footprint, though focused on recreation and developmental programming rather than clinical mental health.
• Thames Valley Children's Centre: London-area provider of rehabilitation and developmental services for children with special needs. Comparable to Merrymount's All Kids Belong and Sunrise programming, focused on developmental disability and inclusion services for similar age bands.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of London and Area: Local mentoring and youth development non-profit serving similar at-risk child and family demographics through referral-driven community programming. Comparable donor/funder base and regional positioning.

Direct peers

• Kinark Child and Family Services: Ontario-wide children's mental health provider offering residential treatment, counselling, autism services, and youth justice programs. Comparable in core services (residential mental health, community-based supports), with a much larger geographic footprint.
• Vanier Children's Mental Wellness: London-area children's mental health centre and active Merrymount partner (co-delivers SibWorks). Directly comparable mission, age band, and trauma-informed service model, operating in the same Southwestern Ontario catchment.
• Crossroads Children's Centre: Ottawa-based children's mental health centre offering residential crisis care, day treatment, and community programs for children and youth. Closest direct comparability in program mix (crisis residential + community-based mental health).
• Peel Children's Centre: Peel Region children's mental health centre delivering walk-in counselling, residential and day treatment, and family support — substantially overlapping with Merrymount's service portfolio in a different geography.

Others

• Children's Mental Health Ontario: Provincial association representing ~90 children's mental health centres including Merrymount's sector. Not a direct service competitor but the collective advocacy body that influences provincial funding flows benefiting Merrymount.

Broad incumbents

• Lutherwood: Waterloo Region provider delivering children's mental health, family services, housing, and employment supports. Overlaps with Merrymount on mental health and family support but operates a broader, multi-service-line portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Merrymount_
• Facebookfacebook.com/merrymountlondon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/merrymount
• Instagraminstagram.com/merrymountlondon

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Merrymount Children's Centre