EVANGELICAL CHILD & FAMILY AGENCY (ECFA)

What EVANGELICAL CHILD & FAMILY AGENCY (ECFA) does

Evangelical Child & Family Agency (ECFA) is a Christ-centered, non-profit social services organization founded in 1950 and headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois, with a regional office in New Berlin, Wisconsin. The agency operates four core service programs: Adoption Services (covering domestic, interstate, private, international, embryo, and child welfare adoptions with home study and post-placement support); Pregnancy Support Services (free, confidential 24/7 counseling and resources for women with unexpected pregnancies); Counseling Services (sliding-scale, faith-integrated therapy for individuals and families); and Intact Family Services (in-home intervention for DuPage County families at risk of having children placed in foster care). The agency also operates the ECFA Foundation, a planned-giving and legacy-donation program, and runs recurring annual fundraising events.

ECFA is licensed by the States of Illinois and Wisconsin and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) for Children and Family Services with a 99.1 compliance rating across 723 standards, the Christian Adoptions Alliance, and the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity under Section 509(a)(2), affiliated with the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) and the National Association of Christian Child and Family Agencies (NACCFA). Service delivery is conducted in person at offices and in client homes, supported by a Wix-hosted website, Facebook/Instagram organic social presence, and a bi-weekly e-newsletter.

The organization's revenue model is donation-driven: tax-deductible contributions from individuals, churches, and foundations form the primary funding stream, supplemented by annual fundraising events (Top Golf, Heart for Life Pickleball, Love in Action Breakfast, Annual Benefit Auction), paid counseling fees on a sliding income-based scale, and adoption service fees (amounts not publicly disclosed). The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on Evangelical church referrals, faith-network affiliations, and faith-statement alignment to reach prospective clients. ECFA employs approximately 26 staff, including licensed social workers and program supervisors, and operates a structured internship pipeline for Bachelor's and Master's level students. No technology products, APIs, or digital platforms are offered; ECFA is not a technology company.

Name

EVANGELICAL CHILD & FAMILY AGENCY (ECFA)

Legal name

Evangelical Child & Family Agency

Website

https://evancfa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Evangelical Child & Family Agency (ECFA) is a Christ-centered, 501(c)(3) non-profit social services organization, founded in 1950, providing adoption, pregnancy support, counseling, and intact family services across Illinois and Wisconsin under multiple accreditations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wheaton, Illinois

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: ECFA operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity (509(a)(2)) and relies on tax-deductible donations from individuals, churches, and foundations to fund operations.
2. Fundraising Events: Annual fundraising events including Top Golf, Heart for Life Pickleball, Love in Action breakfast, and Annual Benefit Auction generate revenue and community engagement.
3. Counseling Fees: Affordable counseling services with fees based on family income, providing sliding scale pricing for families and individuals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ECFA is a Christ-centered nonprofit social services agency that provides adoption services (domestic, international, embryo, and child welfare), free pregnancy support services for women with unexpected pregnancies, faith-based individual and family counseling, and intact family services to prevent foster care placement. The agency operates from offices in Wheaton, Illinois and New Berlin, Wisconsin, and is licensed by both states and accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Children and Family Services.

Product overview

ECFA is a Christ-centered social services organization offering four core service programs: Adoption Services (covering domestic, interstate, private, international, embryo, and child welfare adoptions), Pregnancy Support Services (free counseling and resources for unexpected pregnancies), Counseling Services (faith-based therapy for families and individuals), and Intact Family Services (in-home support to prevent child removal). The organization also operates the ECFA Foundation for legacy giving and runs annual fundraising events. ECFA is licensed by Illinois and Wisconsin and accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Children and Family Services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ECFA Foundation: A legacy giving and long-term support program for ECFA, focused on estate planning, beneficiary designations, and charitable giving options including wills, trusts, and IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions.

Products and services

• Adoption Services Licensed adoption program providing domestic, interstate, private, international, embryo, and child welfare/foster care adoption services for Evangelical Christian families. Includes orientation, home study, waiting period, and post-placement services staffed by licensed social workers.
• Pregnancy Support Services Free, confidential counseling and support program for women experiencing unexpected pregnancies or needing additional support. Services include 24/7 on-call support, birth options counseling, parenting skills, pregnancy and childbirth education, adoption planning, community resource referrals, and baby item assistance.
• Counseling Services Professional Christian counseling for individuals and families that integrates biblical principles and faith into therapy. Available daytime and evening, with affordable fees based on family income.
• Intact Family Services In-home intensive services for families in DuPage County, Illinois at risk of having children removed and placed in foster care. Provides case management, referrals to community resources, and home safety monitoring to help parents correct conditions identified by DCFS.
• ECFA Foundation Legacy Giving Program Legacy giving and long-term support program offering estate planning options including wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, non-cash asset donations, and Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRAs for supporters of ECFA's mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.1 rating in favorably complying with 723 applicable COA standards

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, minor and core.

• DuPage FoundationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDuPage Foundation provides support for ECFA's Pregnancy Support Services program, contributing to the organization's ability to serve local families.
• OzingaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for ECFA fundraising events.
• National Association of Evangelicals (NAE)supportingOthersECFA is a faith-based agency affiliated with the National Association of Evangelicals.
• National Association of Christian Child and Family Agencies (NACCFA)supportingOthersECFA is a member of the National Association of Christian Child and Family Agencies.
• Council on Accreditation (COA)coreOthersAll ECFA services including adoptions are accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Children and Family Services.
• Cars of HopesupportingOthersAffiliated organization shown on ECFA website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Children's Home Society of California: California-based child welfare and adoption agency providing pregnancy counseling, adoption, and family services. Comparable service portfolio but operates in a different geography than ECFA's IL/WI footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Lutheran Services in America: National network of Lutheran-affiliated human service organizations providing adoption, foster care, and family services. Comparable faith-based service mix at greater scale.
• Catholic Charities USA: Large national network of faith-based social service agencies providing adoption, pregnancy support, counseling, and family preservation services. Operates at much greater scale than ECFA but overlaps in core service lines.

Direct peers

• Nightlight Christian Adoptions: Faith-based adoption agency offering domestic, international, and embryo adoption as well as pregnancy support. Closely mirrors ECFA's adoption modality mix and evangelical identity.
• Show Hope: Faith-based nonprofit focused on adoption aid grants and pregnancy support, with strong evangelical Christian alignment comparable to ECFA's mission.
• Lifeline Children's Services: Christian adoption and family services agency providing domestic and international adoption, counseling, and pregnancy support, with a similar evangelical orientation and accreditation profile.
• Bethany Christian Services: One of the largest faith-based adoption and family services agencies in the U.S., offering domestic and international adoption, pregnancy counseling, and foster care services. Directly comparable to ECFA in mission, service mix, and faith-based positioning.
• Gladney Center for Adoption: Texas-based adoption agency with a long-standing evangelical Christian heritage, providing domestic and international adoption, counseling, and pregnancy support services. Highly comparable in service breadth and faith-based differentiation.

Emerging players

• Help One Child: Faith-based foster care and adoption ministry connecting churches with families. Partial overlap with ECFA's adoption and family preservation mission with a more focused foster care emphasis.
• FaithBridge Foster Care: Faith-based organization mobilizing churches to support foster and adoptive families. Overlaps with ECFA's child welfare adoption and intact family services lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EvangelicalChildandFamilyAgency
• Instagraminstagram.com/evancfa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/evangelical-child-&-family-agency

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 EVANGELICAL CHILD & FAMILY AGENCY (ECFA)