KIDS MATTER INC.

What KIDS MATTER INC. does

Kids Matter Inc. is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization founded in 2000 that delivers free services to abused and neglected children, foster families, and kinship caregivers in Milwaukee County. Its core program is the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) initiative, in which 100+ trained community volunteers are sworn in by Milwaukee County Children's Court judges to independently investigate cases, monitor placements, identify resources, and advocate for safe, permanent homes for children in the child welfare system. Beyond CASA, the organization runs Fostering Healing (legal advocacy, caregiver support, trauma-focused therapy, emergency school placement, Crime Victim Compensation navigation), Fostering Hope Packages (material support for foster and kinship children), and a comprehensive child safety education library covering guardianship, foster care, kinship care, and crime victim services including Native American Children programs tied to ICWA compliance.

The organization is governed by a Board of Directors composed of attorneys, clinicians, educators, and business professionals, and is led by Executive Director Susan Conwell, Staff Attorneys Beth Lauck and Lauren Blumenthal, and Program Manager Lance Jones. It maintains core partnerships with Milwaukee County Children's Court, Milwaukee Public Schools, and Junior League of Milwaukee, and holds Charity Navigator 4-star, Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, HRC All Children - All Families, and America's Best Charities Seal of Excellence certifications.

The business model is donation-based: Kids Matter generates no revenue from service fees because all programs are provided free of charge to families. Funding flows from individual donors, foundations, and corporate partners, channeled through community outreach, a website, Facebook, monthly email newsletters, community partnerships, and earned media. There are no funding rounds, investors, or parent-company relationships disclosed; the organization operates as an independent 501(c)-style nonprofit entity at a single headquarters location at 1850 N Dr MLK Jr Dr #202, Milwaukee, and does not sell technology products, maintain APIs, or deploy AI/ML systems.

Name

KIDS MATTER INC.

Legal name

Kids Matter Inc.

Website

https://kidsmatterinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kids Matter Inc. is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit founded in 2000 that provides free Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) services, foster and kinship caregiver support, legal advocacy, and trauma-focused therapy to abused and neglected children in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare and Advocacy Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG), Juvenile Justice System (Courts & Detention) (BPAIAFAF), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Child welfare advocacy
• Foster care support
• Kinship care services
• Court appointed advocacy
• Guardian support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Kids Matter Inc. operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners. The organization provides all services free of charge to families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kids Matter Inc. is a nonprofit organization that recruits, trains, and supports court-appointed volunteer advocates (CASA) to represent abused and neglected children in Milwaukee County Children's Court. It complements this advocacy with a Fostering Healing Program offering caregiver support, legal advocacy, trauma-focused therapy, and emergency school placement, plus Fostering Hope Packages and public education on child safety, all delivered free of charge to families.

Product overview

Kids Matter Inc. is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of programs and services to support abused and neglected children and their caregivers in Wisconsin. The core offerings include the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program, which trains volunteer advocates for children in foster care, and the Fostering Healing Program, which provides therapeutic and legal support services. Additional programs include Fostering Hope Packages and educational resources on child safety, guardianship, and crime victim services. These programs work together to advocate for children's welfare, support kinship and foster caregivers, and help families navigate the child welfare system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program A volunteer advocacy program where trained community volunteers are appointed by Milwaukee County Children's Court judges to independently investigate cases of abused and neglected children, monitor placements, identify community resources, and advocate for safe permanent homes.
• Fostering Healing Program A healing and support program for abused and neglected children and their kinship or foster caregivers, offering therapy referrals, legal advocacy, caregiver support groups, and assistance navigating complex child welfare systems.
• Fostering Hope Packages A program distributing support packages to foster and kinship children served by Kids Matter Inc., providing tangible items to aid children and their caregivers.
• Child Safety Education Educational resources covering types of child abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, neglect), reporting procedures, including guidance for mandatory reporters, and prevention information for caregivers and community members.
• Legal Help Services Free legal information and guidance for caregivers and families covering guardianship (emergency, temporary, limited, full), power of attorney, foster care, kinship care, and Native American child welfare topics.
• Crime Victim Services Information, guidance, and assistance related to the Wisconsin Crime Victim Compensation Program, victim and witness rights, and support services for children who are victims of crime.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average case length of one year until permanency reached
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Junior League of MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership where the Junior League of Milwaukee's Community Partnership committee spearheaded collaboration with Kids Matter CASA. Partnership has increased community partnerships for foster children and free educational/community events open to foster children. Junior League instrumental in developing new welcoming space for Kids Matter.
• Milwaukee Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrancisco Martorell served as Director of Community School Partnerships for Milwaukee Public Schools, with over 25 years of involvement in school/child welfare partnerships. Prior member of Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services Partnership Council.
• Milwaukee County Children's CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKids Matter CASA program works within Milwaukee County Children's Court system. CASA volunteers are appointed by court judges and commissioners. Partnership includes making Children's Court more welcoming with children's art.
• Points of Light FoundationminorOthersNational organization that recognizes outstanding volunteers through Global Volunteer Month and Inspiration Honor Roll programs. Kids Matter volunteers have been recognized through these programs.
• Candid (formerly GuideStar)minorOthersWorld's largest source of nonprofit information provides Platinum Seal of Transparency to Kids Matter Inc., recognizing organizational best practices.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Children's Aid Society: One of the largest and oldest U.S. child welfare nonprofits, offering foster care, adoption, family services, and child advocacy programs. While broader in scope than Kids Matter, it competes for the same donor and government funding pools serving vulnerable children and families.
• Childhelp: A national nonprofit focused on child abuse prevention, treatment, and advocacy, operating hotlines, residential programs, and education. Comparable in mission and child welfare focus, but serves a national scope versus Kids Matter's single-county focus.
• Children's Home & Aid: A Midwest-based child welfare nonprofit serving children and families across Illinois and other states through foster care, adoption, early childhood, and family support programs. Comparable mission and Midwestern operational context, though operates a broader service portfolio than Kids Matter.
• Boys Town: A nationally recognized child welfare nonprofit providing direct residential and family-based services for at-risk youth, including legal advocacy and family support. Comparable in child-and-family-services mission, though much larger and more residential-focused.
• Bethany Christian Services: A national nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, refugee services, and family support with a faith-based lens. Comparable in child welfare mission and free-to-families service model, but operates across many states rather than a single county.

Direct peers

• Voices for Children (San Diego): A county-level CASA advocacy nonprofit in San Diego that recruits, trains, and supports volunteer advocates for foster children in court. Highly comparable operating model, urban-county scope, and donor-funded nonprofit structure.
• National CASA / GAL Association for Children: The national umbrella and standards body for Court Appointed Special Advocate programs across the U.S. Kids Matter operates as an affiliate CASA program under this network, making it directly comparable in mission, volunteer model, and court-based advocacy focus.
• Wisconsin CASA Association: The state-level CASA association coordinating CASA programs throughout Wisconsin, of which Kids Matter CASA is a member. Directly comparable in volunteer recruitment, training standards, and court advocacy services for abused and neglected children.
• Casa of Cook County (Illinois): A large urban-jurisdiction CASA affiliate serving abused and neglected children in Cook County courts. Operates the same volunteer-advocate-for-one-case model as Kids Matter and competes for similar foundation and corporate philanthropic dollars in the child welfare space.

Others

• National Children's Alliance: The national membership and accrediting body for Children's Advocacy Centers serving child abuse victims. Adjacent peer providing standards, training, and advocacy infrastructure that Kids Matter CASA volunteers interact with when serving children who have experienced abuse.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KidsMatterInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kidsmatterinc

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 KIDS MATTER INC.