Laraway Youth and Family Svcs

What Laraway Youth and Family Svcs does

Laraway Youth and Family Services is a Vermont-based nonprofit human services organization founded approximately 1970, operating from a 39-acre campus in Johnson, Vermont with additional offices in Montpelier and Morrisville. The organization delivers trauma-informed therapeutic services to at-risk children, youth, and families across 7 Vermont counties, serving approximately 115 youth annually through an integrated portfolio of programs. Core service lines include the Laraway School (a highly structured educational and therapeutic day program with Positive Behavior Management), Therapeutic Foster Care and Residential Services (substitute care placements with trained foster families), the BackPack Program (K-12 school-based behavioral and academic support in public schools), and the SHINES Program (specialized services for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and complex needs).

The underlying service model is relationship-driven rather than technology-driven. Laraway combines clinical methodologies (Positive Behavior Support Plans and Individualized Plans of Care) with unique physical infrastructure — yurts, gardens, a chicken coop, a project barn, a pizza oven, and river-based activities on the Lamoille River — to deliver experiential, outdoor-based therapeutic programming. The organization has 160+ full- and part-time staff with an average tenure exceeding 8 years, indicating a workforce-stability model unusual for the human services sector.

The business model is a hybrid government-contract and philanthropic nonprofit model. Primary revenue derives from State of Vermont contracts for child welfare, mental health, and therapeutic foster care services, supplemented by individual donations (including a Youth Crisis Fund), planned giving (bequests, trusts, retirement assets), and corporate/community partnerships. Foster families receive daily stipends from the state and do not pay Laraway directly for services. GTM motion is community-led: referrals flow through state agencies and community organizations across Vermont, with marketing conducted via social media, newsletters, community events, and the laraway.org website. Long-tenured leadership (CEO David McCallister, 23 years) and an active Board of Directors from healthcare, utilities, education, and business sectors provide governance stability.

Name

Laraway Youth and Family Svcs

Legal name

Laraway Youth & Family Services

Website

https://laraway.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Laraway Youth and Family Services is a Vermont-based nonprofit, founded circa 1970, delivering trauma-informed therapeutic foster care, residential, and educational services to approximately 115 at-risk youth annually across 7 counties, primarily funded by State of Vermont contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare and Youth Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services (EDAJAKAK)

Keywords

• Therapeutic foster care
• Residential youth services
• Special education programs
• School-based mental health
• Trauma-informed care

Headquarters

HQ city

Johnson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: State of Vermont funding through child welfare and mental health service contracts. Daily stipends provided for foster care services.
2. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations to the Youth Crisis Fund and general operations. Tax-deductible contributions from supporters.
3. Planned Giving: Legacy gifts including bequests, wills, trusts, retirement plan assets, and life insurance. Typically significant gifts with tax benefits for donors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Laraway Youth and Family Services is a Vermont-based nonprofit that provides therapeutic foster care and residential services for at-risk youth, a structured therapeutic day school (Laraway School), school-based behavioral and mental health support for K-12 students through the BackPack Program, and the SHINES Program for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and complex needs. Services are delivered from a 39-acre therapeutic campus in Johnson, VT, with placement and outreach extending across seven Vermont counties and are primarily funded through state child welfare and mental health contracts plus individual donations.

Product overview

Laraway Youth and Family Services operates as a social services organization providing multiple interconnected programs. The core offerings include the Laraway School (educational and therapeutic environments), Therapeutic Foster Care and Residential Services, BackPack Program (K-12 school-based support), and SHINES Program (specialized ASD/complex needs services). Additional programs include Volunteer/Internship and Career Opportunities. The organization operates from a 39-acre campus featuring specialized facilities including yurts, outdoor sports areas, chicken coop, River Runs on the Lamoille River, Bread & Pizza cooking program, and Project Barn for trades skills. Together, these programs provide trauma-informed therapeutic support, foster care, educational services, and family support across Vermont.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Laraway School: Highly structured educational and therapeutic environments with small group and individual instruction, trauma-informed therapeutic elements with a Positive Behavior Management System, and Outdoor Education experiences.
• SHINES Program
• Backpack Program
• Therapeutic Foster Care

Products and services

• Laraway School Highly structured educational and therapeutic day program that serves at-risk K-12 students, offering small group and individual instruction across all subject areas and incorporating trauma-informed therapeutic elements with a Positive Behavior Management System.
• Therapeutic Foster Care and Residential Services Substitute care program that creates supportive, familial, nurturing environments through love, compassion, and attunement to vulnerable youth, including therapeutic foster family placement, residential services, crisis support, and 24-hour coverage for children removed from their homes.
• BackPack Program Comprehensive, strengths-based, individualized support provided to children and youth K-12 in the public school setting to eliminate barriers to academic achievement and promote positive social, emotional, and behavioral growth.
• SHINES Program Specialized Health and Instruction to Nurture Exceptional Students (SHINES) — a program serving students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or other intensive/complex needs, providing specialized educational and therapeutic support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 115 youth served across 7 counties
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Boys Town: National nonprofit providing residential, foster care, and family-style youth services; comparable in operating foster and residential programs for at-risk youth, though at much larger scale than Laraway.
• Seven Hills Foundation: Massachusetts-based nonprofit providing residential, educational, and behavioral health services for children and adults with disabilities and behavioral needs; comparable in campus-based residential and special education programming.
• NFI North: New England-based nonprofit network providing residential treatment, special education, and community-based services for youth with emotional and behavioral challenges; comparable in therapeutic residential and special education school programming.

Direct peers

• Northeast Kingdom Human Services (NKHS): Regional human services agency in northern Vermont providing mental health, developmental, and child/youth services; comparable as a Vermont-anchored, state-contracted nonprofit serving at-risk youth.
• Lund Family Center: Vermont-based nonprofit providing family, child welfare, and residential services including foster care and therapeutic programs; highly comparable to Laraway in mission, Vermont footprint, and youth/family services mix.
• Howard Center: Burlington, VT-based social services nonprofit offering mental health, child and family services, and crisis support across multiple Vermont counties; directly comparable to Laraway in scope of child welfare and behavioral health contracting.

Regional players

• Brattleboro Retreat: Vermont-based nonprofit providing residential and outpatient mental health treatment for children and adolescents; comparable to Laraway in trauma-informed residential care and Vermont state contracting.
• Washington County Mental Health Services: Vermont community mental health agency offering child, family, and crisis services; comparable to Laraway's therapeutic foster and school-based behavioral support model within the Vermont designated-agency system.

Emerging players

• Vermont Family Network: Vermont nonprofit supporting families of children with disabilities, ASD, and special needs; closely aligned with Laraway's SHINES and Backpack programs serving families of children with complex needs.

Peers

• Children's Home Society of Washington (CHSW):

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/larawayyouth
• Instagraminstagram.com/explore/locations/1018038011/laraway-youth-family-services
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laraway-youth-and-family-svcs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Laraway Youth and Family Svcs