Sierra Child and Family Services

What Sierra Child and Family Services does

Sierra Child and Family Services, Inc. (SCFS), also doing business as Sierra Family and Child Services, is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1988 and headquartered in California. The organization provides a continuum of community-based child and family services across Northern California, including foster care placement, resource family pre-approval training, adoption services, specialty mental health treatment, school-based mental health supports under California's AB 114 legislation, and wraparound services for children from birth to 21 years of age who display emotional and behavioral challenges.

Service delivery is anchored by six physical offices in Diamond Springs, El Dorado Hills, Jackson, Murphys, San Andreas, South Lake Tahoe, and Truckee, with foster family agency sub-offices historically extended into Santa Rosa, Sacramento, and Stockton. At documented peak operating capacity, the residential program served 18 boys, the non-public school enrolled 45 students, the mental health clinics served more than 150 children combined, and the foster family agency sub-offices served approximately 120 children and families. In 2016, the Board discontinued the residential treatment and non-public school programs in anticipation of a statewide restructuring of children's services, transferring continuity of those programs to Summitview Child & Family Services through a strategic partnership.

The business model is government-contract driven, with revenue derived from California Department of Social Services contracts, Department of Education funding, and county mental health system reimbursements, supplemented by charitable donations and a vehicle donation (Car) program. The organization is licensed by the California DSS and DOE, HIPAA compliant, and nationally accredited through the Council on Accreditation (COA), providing trauma-informed care across its programs. Go-to-market is community-led: prospective foster and adoptive parents are acquired through information nights, pre-approval training classes, an online application portal, and referrals from school districts and county mental health agencies. No proprietary technology platform, AI capabilities, or venture/PE funding are disclosed; the entity operates as an independent, board-governed nonprofit.

Name

Sierra Child and Family Services

Legal name

Sierra Child and Family Services, Inc.

Website

https://sierrachildandfamilyservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sierra Child and Family Services is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides foster care, adoption, and mental health services to children and families across Northern California through six offices and school-based programs under AB 114.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child and Family Social Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)

Keywords

• Foster care services
• Adoption services
• Mental health services
• Child and family services
• Resource family approval

Headquarters

HQ city

Diamond Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Social Services: Revenue generated through contracts with California Department of Social Services, county mental health systems, and Department of Education for foster care, adoption, and mental health services.
2. Donations and Car Program: Charitable donations and vehicle donations from community supporters to fund programs and services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sierra Child and Family Services provides foster care placement, resource family approval/adoption services, and community-based specialty mental health services (including school-based mental health) for children from birth to 21 years of age across Northern California. Services are delivered through six licensed office locations and on public school campuses, complemented by wellness centers and a vehicle donation (Car Program) to support funding.

Product overview

Sierra Child and Family Services operates a multi-service nonprofit organization offering foster care, adoption, and mental health services. The organization provides Foster Care & Adoption Services (including resource family approval training and placement), Mental Health Services (community-based and school-based programs), Wellness Centers, a Car Donation Program, and Parent Resources. Services are delivered through six regional offices across Northern California serving children from birth to 21 years of age.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foster Care & Adoption Services

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Summitview Child & Family ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership formed in 2016 to maintain residential and non-public school programs in the community when SCFS discontinued these programs to focus on community-based services. Programs were maintained under Summitview's expanded menu of programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Uplift Family Services: California-based nonprofit (formerly EMQ FamiliesFirst) providing mental health, Wraparound, foster care, and intensive services for children and families. Directly comparable to SCFS on community-based mental health and child welfare services across California.
• Aspiranet: One of California's largest nonprofit providers of foster care, adoption, mental health, and community-based services, with statewide reach including Northern California. Compares to SCFS on foster/adoption + mental health model but at much greater scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Pacific Clinics: Large California behavioral health nonprofit serving children, youth, and families with mental health, Wraparound, and school-linked services. Compares to SCFS on school-based mental health under AB 114 and community-based mental health programs across California.
• Fred Finch Youth & Family Services: California nonprofit offering mental health, special education, foster care, and transition-age youth services. Comparable to SCFS in mental health and child welfare services, though headquartered in the Bay Area and with broader program offerings.
• Seneca Family of Agencies: California-based nonprofit offering intensive mental health, foster care, and educational services to children and families. Comparable to SCFS in trauma-informed mental health and community-based care, with greater scale and a broader service menu including Wraparound and Intensive Services.
• Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services: Southern California nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, mental health, and Wraparound services for children and families. Comparable to SCFS on integrated child welfare + mental health service model, though serving a different region of California.
• Olive Crest: Multi-state nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, mental health, and family preservation services across the Western U.S. Compares to SCFS on integrated foster/adoption/mental health offerings for at-risk children and families, though operating at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Summitview Child & Family Services: California-based nonprofit child and family services agency that absorbed SCFS's discontinued residential and non-public school programs in 2016 through a formal partnership. Directly comparable in foster care, mental health, and wraparound services across overlapping Northern California geographies.
• Casa Pacifica: California nonprofit offering residential treatment, foster care, adoption, and community-based mental health services for abused, neglected, and at-risk children. Directly comparable in mission and service mix to SCFS, though with a stronger residential treatment component.

Regional players

• Maryvale: Southern California child and family services nonprofit offering residential treatment, mental health, and foster care services. Comparable in mission and service mix to SCFS but operates primarily in Los Angeles County rather than Northern California.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sierra_family
• Facebookfacebook.com/sierrachildandfamilyservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sierra-child-and-family-services-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Sierra Child and Family Services