Gateway Woods

What Gateway Woods does

Gateway Woods Family Services is a Christ-centered non-profit social services organization founded in 1976 and headquartered on a 50-acre campus in Leo, Indiana, near Fort Wayne. The organization provides a portfolio of seven interconnected programs serving children and families in northeast Indiana: Residential Treatment, Adoption, Foster Care (including a Professional Foster Care program co-developed with the Indiana Department of Child Services in 2021), Gateway Farms vocational training, an on-grounds accredited School, the LARC Program for teen mothers, and WillowBridge transitional housing in Grabill, IN. Teletherapy was added to extend counseling reach beyond the campus. Service delivery is built around a houseparent model in which trained caregivers reside on campus and provide 24/7 support, with multi-program coordination enabled by the integrated campus footprint.

The organization is accredited by CARF, is a member of IARCA, and holds licensing through Indiana DCS, which serves as a primary referral channel for residential placement and foster care services. Service delivery technology is intentionally non-proprietary: programs operate through residential facilities, an agricultural vocational site, school classrooms, and apartment-based transitional housing staffed by human professionals. There is no proprietary software platform or AI/ML capability evident in the operating model.

Gateway Woods generates operating revenue through a diversified non-profit funding stack: state agency contracts (Indiana DCS), individual and church donations (including the recurring Sowers of Hope monthly giving program), legacy and planned giving, and an annual Auction event held on the first Saturday of August that draws approximately 400 volunteers and 1,500–2,000 donated items from the Apostolic Christian Church network. The organization was renamed from Apostolic Christian Children's Home to Gateway Woods in 1989 and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2026.

Name

Gateway Woods

Legal name

Gateway Woods Family Services

Website

https://gatewaywoods.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gateway Woods is a Christ-centered non-profit founded in 1976 in Leo, Indiana, providing residential treatment, foster care, adoption, transitional housing, vocational training, and education to children and families in northeast Indiana, funded through donations, state contracts, and an annual auction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare and Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)

Keywords

• Residential treatment services
• Foster care licensing
• Adoption services
• Transitional housing programs
• Youth vocational training

Headquarters

HQ city

Leo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Gateway Woods operates as a nonprofit and relies on charitable donations from individuals, churches, and community supporters. They accept various forms of giving including one-time donations, monthly giving programs (Sowers of Hope), and legacy/planned giving options.
2. Annual Auction Event: The organization holds an annual auction event that serves as a major fundraising mechanism. The Auction features donated items, food sales, and volunteer-driven activities, raising significant funds each year (mentioned as record-breaking in 2020 and 2023).
3. Government Contracts: Gateway Woods receives funding through partnerships with government agencies, specifically the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS), which refers children and families to their programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gateway Woods Family Services is a Christ-centered nonprofit social services organization that operates an integrated portfolio of programs serving children, youth, and families in northeast Indiana. Its core offerings include Residential Treatment, Foster Care (including Professional Foster Care), Adoption Services, Gateway Farms vocational training, an on-grounds accredited school, the LARC program for young mothers, and WillowBridge transitional housing, with Teletherapy as an additional counseling channel. Services are funded through donations, government contracts (Indiana DCS), and fundraising events rather than fee-for-service pricing.

Product overview

Gateway Woods is a Christ-centered social services organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of interconnected programs serving children and families in northeast Indiana. The organization operates a platform of seven core services: Adoption, Foster Care (including Professional Foster Care), Residential Treatment, Gateway Farms vocational training, Gateway Woods School, LARC, and WillowBridge transitional housing. Additional offerings include Teletherapy and donor engagement programs like the Sowers of Hope monthly giving program and the annual Auction. These programs work together to provide a continuum of care from crisis intervention through independent living, with each service designed to address different stages of need while sharing the Christian mission of hope and healing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Treatment Program On-campus residential treatment program providing therapeutic care for youth in a structured, Christ-centered environment across multiple group homes on Gateway Woods' 50-acre campus. Serves children and teenagers referred primarily through Indiana DCS who have experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, or family instability and require out-of-home placement.
• Foster Care Licensed foster care program that partners with Christian foster families to provide care for children in need, including Professional Foster Care for high-needs youth developed in partnership with Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) starting in 2021. Targets over 600 children in Indiana cited as needing high-level foster care.
• Adoption Services Christ-centered adoption services helping families grow through domestic adoption placement, plus support for birth mothers facing unexpected pregnancies. Includes Adoption Manager and Adoption Case Manager roles coordinating placements.
• Gateway Farms On-campus vocational training program offering agricultural education where residents learn farming skills, gain work experience, and develop responsibility through hands-on agricultural activities. Products are sold to community customers through produce bin deliveries, providing vocational income generation for participants.
• Gateway Woods School On-grounds accredited school providing academic education for residential residents with small class sizes and tailored instruction. Staffed by a Dean of Students, History Teacher, Teacher, and Science Teacher roles supporting residential students' educational needs.
• LARC Program (Life Arc Program) Program providing mentorship and support services to young mothers, helping them develop life skills, complete education, and prepare for independent living. Includes housing in Oak House staffed by dedicated houseparents, plus mentorship from a LARC Mentor and coordination by a LARC Director and LARC Coordinator.
• WillowBridge Transitional Housing Transitional housing program providing apartment living for youth aging out of foster care or residential programs, offering a bridge to independent adulthood with on-site support. Addresses the nationwide statistic that 1 in 5 foster youth become homeless upon turning 18, supported by local community partnerships with food banks, churches, and local employers.
• Teletherapy Remote counseling services providing therapeutic support to clients through virtual sessions, expanding access to Gateway Woods' therapeutic care beyond in-person residential and outpatient settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Youth homelessness prevention for aging-out youth
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Indiana DCS approached Gateway Woods to create a Professional Foster Care program on campus. This partnership addresses the need for high-level foster care services for young children (too young for residential programs) with high behavioral needs. Gateway will license a home on campus with houseparents as foster parents, providing services through both Foster Care and Residential programs.
• Indiana Association of Residential Child Care Agencies (IARCA)coreOthersGateway Woods holds membership in IARCA, indicating adherence to industry standards and best practices for residential child care agencies in Indiana.
• CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities)coreOthersGateway Woods holds CARF accreditation, demonstrating commitment to quality standards and continuous improvement in rehabilitation and social services.
• Grabill Community PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Grabill community partnerships support WillowBridge tenants. The local food bank manager provides extra food support, the church across the street donates leftover food and provides volunteers for transportation. Local job partners offer employment opportunities for tenants.
• Apostolic Christian Church NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGateway Woods was originally founded as the Apostolic Children's Home and maintains close ties with the Apostolic Christian Church. The network provides volunteers, representatives, auction support, foster families, and financial support. Church representatives in congregations nationwide advocate for Gateway.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Buckner International: Faith-based nonprofit providing residential care for children, adoption, foster care, and family services. Closely aligned mission and program mix, particularly in faith-rooted residential and transitional services.
• Bethany Christian Services: Faith-based nonprofit specializing in adoption, foster care, and family support with services nationwide. Closely aligned in Christ-centered identity, adoption/foster care focus, and donor-driven revenue model.
• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Large nonprofit operating residential treatment, behavioral health, and foster care programs across multiple states. Comparable in serving high-needs youth through CARF-accredited, integrated clinical and residential models.
• Boys Town: National nonprofit providing residential treatment, foster care, and family services for at-risk youth. Most direct comparable in scope and mission, though larger and multi-site, serving as a benchmark for what Gateway Woods could scale toward.
• KVC Health Systems: Child welfare nonprofit operating foster care, adoption, and behavioral health services across multiple states. Comparable in government-contract-funded foster care operations and DCS-equivalent state agency partnerships.
• Arrow Child & Family Ministries: Faith-based nonprofit providing residential treatment, foster care, and family preservation services in multiple states. Comparable in faith-based identity, residential and foster care program mix, and government contract revenue.
• Maryville Academy: Catholic-affiliated nonprofit serving children and families through residential treatment, foster care, and family support. Comparable in faith-based identity, residential campus model, and combined child welfare/education programming.

Regional players

• Children's Home Society of California: Regional nonprofit providing adoption, foster care, and family services in California. Comparable in child welfare service mix but operates in a different geography with secular positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: National network of faith-based social service agencies providing adoption, foster care, and family support. Comparable in faith-rooted family services and donor/volunteer-driven model, but operates at vastly larger scale.
• Lutheran Services in America: Network of 300+ Lutheran social service organizations operating child welfare, behavioral health, and senior services. Comparable in faith-based child welfare delivery, though broader in scope and constituency than Gateway Woods.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/gatewaywoods
• Xx.com/gatewaywoods
• Facebookfacebook.com/gatewaywoods
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gateway-woods

Compliance3 records

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 Gateway Woods