Advocates for Children and Families, Inc.

What Advocates for Children and Families, Inc. does

Advocates for Children and Families, Inc. (ACF) is a non-profit organization founded in 1992 and headquartered in North Miami Beach, Florida. It operates as a licensed child placing agency delivering adoption, counseling, and family support services through five interconnected programs: ACF Adoptions (core adoption placement), ACF+ (nationwide specialized placement for medically complex and special needs children), ACF Counseling (trauma-informed clinical counseling), ACF Community (basic needs assistance including housing, utilities, food, and clothing), and ACF Navigator (crisis-to-stability case navigation). The organization serves birth mothers, adoptive families, medically complex children, and families in crisis across three physical offices in North Miami Beach, Jacksonville (FL), and Valdosta (GA), with ACF+ operating on a nationwide basis.

ACF's business model is a hybrid of fee-for-service and charitable funding. The organization collects fees for some adoption services, but in 2021, 70.5% of services provided were unpaid. The remaining funding gap is closed through grants, donations, and corporate sponsors. There is no underlying technology platform or proprietary product; the offering is human-delivered social services delivered by licensed clinicians, attorneys, and trained adoption specialists. Customer segments are persona-based (birth mothers, adoptive families, children with medical complexities) rather than enterprise accounts, and the go-to-market relies on community engagement, events, digital channels, and referral partnerships rather than traditional sales. In January 2022, ACF merged with Adoption Authority, integrating a peer non-profit and expanding program capacity. The organization is led by Executive Director Robert C. Lamarche (JD, LCSW) and operates with a lean staff of approximately 11 employees supported by a board, volunteers, and donors.

Name

Advocates for Children and Families, Inc.

Legal name

Advocates for Children and Families, Inc.

Website

https://acfcares.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Advocates for Children and Families is a Florida-based non-profit licensed child placing agency providing adoption services, trauma-informed counseling, and crisis support for birth mothers, adoptive families, and medically complex children since 1992.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

North Miami Beach, Florida

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Adoption Service Fees: ACF collects fees for some adoption services, though the majority of services provided do not generate revenue. In 2021, 70.5% of the services provided were unpaid.
2. Grants and Donations: The organization relies on grants, donations, and corporate sponsors to adequately respond to the needs of women and children in crisis, and to subsidize the medically complex adoption program.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ACF is a licensed child placing agency providing professional adoption services to birth mothers, adoptive parents, and children, including specialized placement for medically complex and special-needs children through its ACF+ program. The organization also delivers trauma-informed clinical counseling, basic-needs assistance, and crisis-to-stability navigation support through its ACF Adoptions, ACF Community, ACF+, ACF Navigator, and ACF Counseling programs.

Product overview

Advocates for Children and Families (ACF) operates as a licensed child placing agency offering a comprehensive suite of adoption-related programs and services. The organization consists of five interconnected programs: ACF Adoptions (core adoption services), ACF+ (specialized medically complex/special needs adoption), ACF Counseling (trauma-informed clinical counseling), ACF Community (basic needs support), and ACF Navigator (crisis support navigation). These programs work together to provide end-to-end support from initial adoption inquiries through post-placement services, with ACF+ representing the agency's driving force for medically complex children while ACF Counseling addresses the unique mental health needs of all parties involved in adoption.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACF+: Program focused on finding safe, healthy, and nurturing homes for children who are medically complex and/or have special needs. The (+) reflects the extra care medically complex families need.
• ACF Adoptions
• ACF Community
• ACF Counseling
• ACF Navigator

Products and services

• ACF Adoptions Licensed private adoption agency providing professional adoption services to birth mothers, adoptive parents, and children, including counseling, legal counsel, home study, matching, and support throughout the adoption process.
• ACF+ Nationwide program focused on finding safe, healthy, and nurturing homes for children who are medically complex and/or have special needs, including children with genetic anomalies (e.g., Down Syndrome, SMA, Turner Syndrome, Prader Willi Syndrome), structural anomalies (e.g., heart defects, limb differences), traumatic birth outcomes (e.g., Cerebral Palsy, neurological issues), micro-preemies, and fatal or life-limiting conditions.
• ACF Counseling Trauma-informed clinical counseling services tailored specifically to adoption-related situations, provided to expectant mothers, birth mothers, adoptive parents, adopted children, biological family members, and extended families involved in adoption.
• ACF Community Community support services delivered through various programs helping families with basic needs including housing, utilities, food, and clothing, partnering with public child welfare agencies to move children towards permanency.
• ACF Navigator Program helping children thrive and supporting parents in creating solution-focused plans to move from crisis to stability, assisting families in navigating various support systems.

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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Adoption AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Merged with Adoption Authority in January 2022 to increase impact. This collaboration of two successful non-profits allowed ACF to evolve and expand services to effectively address the vulnerability of infants, children, and parents in crisis. Hillary Berger, former Executive Director of Adoption Authority, joined as Director of Social Services.
• Half-Baked HarvestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting ACF's mission to help children and families thrive through donations and community support.
• The Johnson FamilyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndividual/family partner supporting ACF's commitment to helping children and families through donations.
• Osterhout Berger Disability LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal partner specializing in disability law, supporting families served by ACF's medically complex adoption program.
• Studio MJG, Steinger, Greene & Feiner, Morrill Family and Alwine-Beam FamilyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate and family partners contributing to ACF's mission through donations and community support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gladney Center for Adoption: Long-standing non-profit licensed adoption agency providing domestic and inter-country adoption, counseling, and post-adoption support. Directly comparable to ACF Adoptions in mission, services, and licensing model.
• Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children: Non-profit licensed adoption agency offering domestic and international adoption, counseling, and support for birth parents and adoptive families. Closely parallels ACF's counseling and adoption service suite.
• Adoptions Together: Non-profit licensed adoption agency providing domestic infant adoption, older-child adoption, and counseling services. Comparable to ACF Adoptions in service mix and target families.
• Children's Home Society of California: Non-profit licensed adoption and family services agency providing adoption, foster care, and counseling. Mirrors ACF's multi-program structure blending adoption, counseling, and community support.
• National Council For Adoption: National non-profit advocacy organization supporting adoption through policy, education, and services. ACF's Executive Director serves on its board, indicating direct peer alignment in the U.S. adoption ecosystem.
• Children's Home Society of Minnesota: Regional non-profit licensed child placing agency offering adoption, pregnancy counseling, and post-adoption services. Comparable to ACF in service scope and non-profit licensed agency model.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: Network of non-profit agencies providing adoption, pregnancy counseling, and family services nationally. Overlaps ACF's adoption and counseling services at much larger scale.
• Bethany Christian Services: Large non-profit offering adoption, foster care, refugee services, and family support across many states. Broader and more diversified than ACF, but directly comparable in core adoption and counseling offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acfcares

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Advocates for Children and Families, Inc.