California Children's Trust

What California Children's Trust does

California Children's Trust was a five-year nonprofit policy advocacy initiative founded in 2018 and officially sunset on December 31, 2024. Operating as a fiscally sponsored project of the New Venture Fund (a 501(c)(3) public charity), the initiative focused on transforming the administration, delivery, and financing of California's children's behavioral health system to achieve health equity for children, youth, and families. It built and coordinated a coalition of over 400 organizations across California's 58 counties, engaging state agencies (notably the Department of Healthcare Services), county mental health departments, education agencies, child-serving providers, and community-based organizations.

Its core deliverables were policy publications and advocacy tools rather than commercial products, including the four-part Wraparound Paper Series, policy briefs on dyadic behavioral health payment models and whole-family wellness for early childhood, the California Children & Youth Services Dashboard (a compiled county-level data tool covering FY13-14 to FY16-17 Specialty Mental Health Services), the Action Toolkit for advocates, and a Framework for Solutions organized around three strategies (maximize funding, expand access, reinvent systems) centered on an Equity + Justice lens. Distribution relied on earned media, webinars, public hearings, policy briefs, and coalition coordination rather than commercial sales channels. As a grant-funded advocacy organization, CCT generated no commercial revenue; its operating model was philanthropic contributions channeled through its fiscal sponsor.

Name

California Children's Trust

Legal name

California Children's Trust

Website

https://cachildrenstrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

California Children's Trust was a five-year nonprofit policy advocacy initiative (2018-2024) that coordinated a 400+ organization coalition to transform California's children's behavioral health system through policy reform, financing guidance, and equity-centered advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Behavioral Health Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG), Child Rights & Protection (BPADAGAG)

Keywords

• Children's behavioral health
• Policy advocacy coalition
• Medicaid financing reform
• Mental health equity
• Nonprofit policy initiative

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Managed Services: California Children's Trust was a nonprofit policy initiative (fiscally sponsored by New Venture Fund as a 501(c)(3) public charity) that sunset on December 31, 2024 after five years. As a grant-funded advocacy organization, it did not generate commercial revenue through products or services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

California Children's Trust was a nonprofit policy advocacy initiative that coordinated a coalition of 400+ organizations to transform California's children's behavioral health system. It produced policy publications, data dashboards, action toolkits, and policy advocacy services targeting California state agencies, mental health providers, schools, and child welfare organizations. The initiative officially sunset on December 31, 2024, after five years of operation.

Product overview

California Children's Trust was a five-year policy advocacy initiative (sunset December 31, 2024) focused on achieving health equity and healthy development for California's children, youth, and families through transformation of the state's behavioral health system. The organization did not offer software products or technology services; rather, it produced policy publications (Wraparound Paper Series, Policy Briefs), advocacy tools (Action Toolkit, Belief Statement), and data tools (California Children & Youth Services Dashboard). Its strategic work was organized around a Framework for Solutions with three core strategies (maximize funding, expand access, reinvent systems) centered on Equity + Justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wraparound Paper Series A four-part policy paper series addressing California's approach to children's behavioral health. Part 1 sets the stage, Part 2 examines California's moment for reform, Part 3 makes the case, and Part 4 synthesizes implementation strategies. Targeted at policymakers, advocates, and child-serving organizations.
• California Children & Youth Services Dashboard A compiled summary of Specialty Mental Health Services delivered to child and youth populations across California state and counties, enabling trend analysis from FY13-14 to FY16-17. Targeted at policymakers, advocates, and researchers analyzing behavioral health service utilization.
• Policy Briefs Research and policy documents including the Dyadic Behavioral Health Payment Model proposal (May 2020), Whole-Family Wellness for Early Childhood model (September 2019), Financing New Approaches to Achieve Child Well Being (July 2019), and the California Children's Trust Initiative brief (November 2018). Targeted at state agencies, county mental health departments, and advocates.
• Action Toolkit Overview presentations, fact sheets, belief statements, and communication materials for advocates to build awareness and take action on children's behavioral health policy. Targeted at coalition members, advocates, and community organizations.
• Framework for Solutions A strategic framework centered on three core strategies (maximize funding, expand access and participation, reinvent systems) and an Equity + Justice lens to guide transformation of California's children's behavioral health system. Targeted at policymakers, coalition members, and child-serving organizations.
• COVID-19 Behavioral Health Resources Recommendations and resources to sustain mental and behavioral health supports for children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic, including county action tracking and telehealth guidance. Targeted at county mental health departments, providers, and child-serving organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Only 5% of children with Medi-Cal receive a behavioral health service, with 35% of youth needing mental health support actually receiving it
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Breaking BarrierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReleased 'Practical Guide for Financing Social, Emotional and Mental Health in Schools' to help education leaders and California access Medi-Cal funding for student mental health needs.
• First 5 Center for Children's PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed 'Whole-Family Wellness for Early Childhood' policy brief proposing new approach for Medi-Cal eligible infants and toddlers. Collaborated on paradigm shift in how California conceptualizes, delivers and funds child care systems.
• UCSF/Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center/Children's Health CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on dyadic behavioral health payment model pilot project to demonstrate clinical benefit of aligning reimbursement for mild to moderate mental health services with dyadic care models.
• Well Being TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on mental health research and policy analysis. Partnered on quantitative and qualitative research on mental health attitudes and policy influencing.
• California Coalition for YouthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJevon Wilkes serves as Director of Youth Engagement and also as Executive Director of California Coalition for Youth, indicating close collaborative relationship.
• Children NowmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLishaun Francis, Associate Director of Health Collaborations at Children Now, contributed to CCT's equity and justice messaging.
• California Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCT partnered with DHCS on Medicaid reform recommendations, COVID-19 response flexibilities, and children and youth behavioral health initiative policy development.
• California Alliance of Child and Family ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on letter to DHCS Director Bradley Gilbert on urgent action to stabilize safety net services during COVID-19.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• First 5 Center for Children's Policy: California advocacy organization focused on early childhood policy, prenatal-to-age-5 systems, and Medi-Cal financing for young children. Directly comparable — a core CCT partner that co-developed the Whole-Family Wellness policy brief and operates in the same children's behavioral health financing space.
• Children Now: California-based multi-issue child advocacy nonprofit that conducts research, policy analysis, and campaigns to improve children's health, education, and welfare. Directly comparable as a state-level child policy advocacy organization with overlapping health-equity agenda; Children Now was also a CCT partner.
• California Coalition for Youth: California statewide youth advocacy organization working on juvenile justice, foster care, and youth behavioral health policy. Directly comparable as a coalition-style youth-focused advocacy organization sharing staff leadership with CCT (Jevon Wilkes).
• California Alliance of Child and Family Services: Statewide association representing community-based organizations serving children, youth, and families in California's behavioral health, child welfare, and juvenile justice systems. Directly comparable coalition-style advocacy body that partnered with CCT on COVID-19 stabilization and DHCS engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Mental Health America: National nonprofit dedicated to mental health advocacy, screening, and policy reform across the lifespan including children and youth. Comparable as a longer-established behavioral health advocacy organization with screening tools and state-level affiliate networks analogous to CCT's coalition approach.
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing: Large national membership organization representing mental health and substance use treatment providers, with significant policy advocacy, training, and federal lobbying capacity. Comparable as a broader-scale mental-health-system reform advocate with coalition and policy infrastructure similar to CCT's.
• Children's Defense Fund: National child advocacy organization focused on child poverty, health coverage, and child welfare policy. Comparable as a higher-level child rights and equity advocacy organization with a long history of state-level coalition campaigns, though operating at national rather than single-state scale.

Others

• Well Being Trust: National philanthropic foundation focused on mental health, well-being, and resilience, particularly for children and communities of color. Comparable as a philanthropic/policy partner that collaborated with CCT on mental health research and policy framing, but operates as a funder rather than a grassroots coalition.

Regional players

• California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) - Behavioral Health: State agency administering California's Medicaid program and behavioral health system transformation efforts, including the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative. Included as a peer because DHCS was CCT's primary policy counterpart and the entity whose policy decisions the Trust sought to influence.

Emerging players

• Child Mind Institute: National nonprofit focused on children's mental health through clinical care, research, and public education, with significant school-based and family-facing programs. Comparable as a child-specific behavioral health advocacy and education organization, though with stronger direct-service and content-publishing orientation than CCT.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CAChildrenTrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/California-Childrens-Trust-101467814769280
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-children-s-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about California Children's Trust