Talitha Koum Institute

What Talitha Koum Institute does

Talitha Koum Institute (TKI) is a faith-based nonprofit therapeutic nursery operating in Waco, Texas, founded in 1999 by CrossTies Ecumenical Church and serving children from 8 weeks to 5 years old living in deep, multi-generational urban poverty, primarily in South Waco's Kate Ross public housing neighborhood. Its core offering is the Nurture Center, a mental health therapeutic nursery that integrates the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) from the Child Trauma Academy, the HighScope cognitive curriculum (backed by a 50-year longitudinal study), and sensorimotor interventions delivered at a 1:3 teacher-to-child ratio in six-child classrooms. Each child receives an individualized therapeutic plan carried out by certified staff under weekly Clinical Supervision, with the goal of enabling children to self-regulate and enter school ready to learn from a calm-alert state.

The organization operates two campuses as of February 2025: the original Clay Avenue site (capacity 30 children) and a newly opened Bishop Drive campus (gifted by Lake Shore Baptist Church), bringing total capacity to 68 children and addressing a 75-child waitlist. Supporting programs include a Family Partner parent engagement service, a long-term Mentoring Program for school-age alumni, a Volunteer Program, and a new mixed-grade elementary classroom for late-entry children and foster-to-adopt families. TKI is funded entirely through donations, grants, and in-kind gifts — it does not charge families for services. Revenue streams include a Brain Builders monthly giving program ($35/month minimum), one-time donations, stock transfers, donor-advised funds, bequests, foundation grants (Cooper Foundation, Waco Foundation, Still Water Foundation), and in-kind contributions. The organization's primary customer-facing "products" are direct services to children and families in Waco, with its marketing and distribution conducted through community events, tours, group volunteer engagement, and word-of-mouth rather than traditional commercial channels.

Name

Talitha Koum Institute

Legal name

Talitha Koum Institute

Website

https://talithakoum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Talitha Koum Institute is a Waco, Texas-based nonprofit mental health therapeutic nursery providing early childhood brain development programs combining NMT, HighScope curriculum, and sensorimotor interventions to at-risk children aged 8 weeks to 5 years living in deep poverty, funded entirely through donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Therapeutic Nursery Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (624410), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Therapeutic & Developmental Preschools (Specialized Support) (EDACABAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Therapy-Integrated Childcare Support (coordination with OT/PT/SLP/ABA) (HSAAAIAM), Developmental Therapy / Early Childhood Special Instruction (EDACAFAG), Special Needs Early Intervention & Preschool Programs (EDAKAAAE)

Keywords

• Early childhood brain development
• Therapeutic nursery services
• Trauma-informed childcare
• At-risk youth programs
• Family support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Waco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Monthly Donations (Brain Builders Program): Monthly donors commit minimum $35/month. Brain Builders receive quarterly updates on specific children and may request TKI to speak at their organizations. These recurring donations sustain teacher salaries and day-to-day operations.
2. One-Time Donations: Accepts donations via PayPal, Credit Card, ACH, and Venmo. Donors can memorialize or honor friends/loved ones with gifts.
3. Stock Donations: Donors can transfer stock directly, benefiting both donor (avoiding capital gains) and TKI.
4. Donor Advised Funds: Support through grants from donor advised funds.
5. Legacy Gifts/Bequests: Donors can leave bequests in their wills for ongoing children's brain development.
6. In-Kind Donations: Accepts real estate, vehicles, children's hand-me-downs, household items, diapers, classroom supplies, Amazon Wish List items.
7. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Cooper Foundation (initial funding), Waco Foundation (remodeling funds, symposium grant), Still Water Foundation (2010 research study funding).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Talitha Koum Institute provides a free, faith-based Mental Health Therapeutic Nursery (Nurture Center) for at-risk infants and children from 8 weeks to 5 years old living in deep, multi-generational urban poverty in South Waco. The program combines the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) with the HighScope cognitive curriculum and sensorimotor interventions to help children develop self-regulation and become ready to learn by age five. Supporting services include a Family Partner program for parents, a long-term Mentoring Program for school-age children, and a Sensory Integration program.

Product overview

Talitha Koum Institute (TKI) is a single-site therapeutic nursery organization offering an integrated early childhood brain development program. The core Nurture Center provides mental health therapeutic care combining the HighScope cognitive curriculum with sensory integration interventions for children from 8 weeks to 5 years old. The program is supported by a Family Partner parent engagement service, a long-term Mentoring Program for school-age children, a Brain Builders monthly donor program, and a Volunteer Program. TKI expanded in 2025 with a second campus (Bishop Drive), growing from 30 to 68 children capacity. All programs are research-based, using the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics from the Child Trauma Academy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mental Health Therapeutic Nursery (Nurture Center) A brain development program addressing the mental health and cognitive needs of children from 8 weeks to 5 years old. Faith-based and offered free of charge to families, it serves children in the toxic stress of deep poverty with individualized therapeutic plans, 1:3 teacher-to-child ratios, and a goal that every child becomes self-regulating and ready to learn by age five.
• Sensory Integration Program Sensorimotor interventions for emotional regulation and brain development, including vestibular sensorimotor activities using an indoor swing and large gym space in the original Clay Avenue campus (formerly a WWII aircraft hangar).
• Early Childhood Curriculum (HighScope) Evidence-based HighScope cognitive curriculum backed by a 50-year longitudinal study, combined with therapeutic interventions for infants from 8 weeks old through Kindergarten.
• Family Partner Program Program providing parents with monthly Parents' Night gatherings, education on children's brain development, partnership in managing life stressors, optional home visits, and assistance accessing community resources, including housing, transportation, education, and employment goals.
• Mentoring Program One-on-one mentor program that continues providing love and support to children as they enter public school, pairing children with mentors (individuals, couples, families, or teams) who provide advocacy, educational support, and cultural experiences until the mentee goes to college or productive employment.

Quantifiable outcome

• TKI children showed better aggression and anger control than control group and better scores on Behavioral Symptoms Index
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lake Shore Baptist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Church gifted Talitha Koum with a childcare center space and all its materials. Lake Shore Baptist Church had excellent reputation in child care for 50 years. Determined someone else should use the space. Delighted to offer it to another Christian ministry in Waco. This enabled TKI's expansion without building new facility.
• Child Trauma AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009TKI partners with Child Trauma Academy for Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) certification. Three staff members became certified by Child Trauma Academy in NMT. Ms. Carol Salvesen (O.T.) certified in NMT; Donna Losak and Beth Hicks certified in Neurosequential Model in Education. Dr. Gaskill, Fellow of Child Trauma Academy, trained TKI staff and delivered full-day training at Baylor University.
• Baylor UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for clinical training and research. Doctoral students from Clinical Psychology Department participated in 2010 study. Dr. Helen Benedict (Ph.D., Yale) supervised play therapy for children age 3+. Dr. Benedict served as principal investigator for research. Baylor hosted training session with Dr. Gaskill from Child Trauma Academy.
• HighScopecoreTechnology or IntegrationTKI uses HighScope cognitive curriculum backed by 50-year longitudinal study. Curriculum used from infancy through Kindergarten for cognitive development.
• CrossTies Ecumenical ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded Talitha Koum Institute in response to clear call to help children of Kate Ross public housing neighborhood of South Waco. Church purchased former Gonzales Boys & Girls Club facility in 1999 with Cooper Foundation funding.
• Mayborn MuseumminorOthersDonated table-and-chairs set for TKI facility.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tkiwaco
• Facebookfacebook.com/talithakouminstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/talitha-koum-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Talitha Koum Institute