The Center for Child Development
The Center for Child Development is a Delaware-based private mental health practice and the state's largest school-based mental health provider, serving children, teens, and families through 47+ licensed therapists across 90+ schools, telehealth, and office-based care.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersNewark, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Center for Child Development does
The Center for Child Development (CCD), founded by Lisa R. Savage, LCSW, operates as a privately held, founder-owned mental health practice headquartered in Newark, Delaware. The company is Delaware's largest school-based mental health provider, employing 63 staff including 47+ licensed therapists across 32 specialty areas, with services delivered through three primary channels: on-site therapy embedded in 90+ schools across 13+ Delaware school districts, telehealth statewide, and in-person sessions at the Newark headquarters.
The service portfolio spans child therapy (ages 3-12) using play therapy, CBT, and trauma-informed approaches; teen therapy; family counseling; adult mental health through the Delaware Center for Counseling and Wellness (DCCW) sub-brand; specialized programs including EMDR, TraumaPlay, PCIT, and psychiatric medication management; and three recently launched programs — the Educator Wellness Program, Autism Access Program, and Brave Hearts group therapy. Technology stack is conventional clinical infrastructure: evidence-based therapeutic modalities, secure telehealth delivery, and HIPAA-compliant PHI handling, with Stripe and Affirm integrations for payment processing and consumer financing on autism assessments.
The revenue model is fee-for-service clinical care billed to insurance (Aetna, Highmark BCBS Delaware, Health Options, Delaware First Health, AmeriHealth, Delaware Medicaid) plus a sliding scale self-pay option starting at $25, supplemented by unit-priced autism assessments with Affirm payment plans and B2B mental health training/consulting delivered in 2-hour to 1-week formats. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer outreach (phone, web, bilingual Spanish-language presence) with enterprise field sales into Delaware school districts. Founder Lisa R. Savage retains active operational involvement with no disclosed private equity or institutional capital backing.
The Center for Child Development firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Center for Child Development
- Legal name
- The Center for Child Development Delaware
- Website
- https://thecenterforchilddevelopment.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Center for Child Development is a Delaware-based private mental health practice and the state's largest school-based mental health provider, serving children, teens, and families through 47+ licensed therapists across 90+ schools, telehealth, and office-based care.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Center for Child Development industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services) (HLAFACAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- School-Based Mental Health Therapy (Licensed Clinicians) (EDAKAMAD), Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health Teletherapy Platforms (HLALAEAF)
Keywords
Where The Center for Child Development is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newark
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
The Center for Child Development business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Insurance-Based Therapy Services: Fee-for-service therapy sessions billed to insurance providers including Aetna, Highmark BCBS Delaware, Health Options, Delaware First Health, AmeriHealth, and Delaware Medicaid. Covers individual, family, and group therapy services.
- Sliding Scale Self-Pay: Reduced-fee sessions based on household size and income for uninsured or underinsured families, with sessions as low as $25.
- Autism Assessment Services: Comprehensive autism evaluations for children (ages 2-17) and adults (18+) with payment plan options through Affirm (3, 6, or 12 month terms).
- Mental Health Consulting & Training: Workshops, training programs, and consulting services for schools, organizations, and communities including 2-hour sessions, 1-day, 3-day, and 1-week training formats.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard therapy session with sliding scale option |
| Subscription | Per session | Insurance-based therapy sessions |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Child & Teen Autism Assessment |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Adult Autism Assessment |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mental Health Training & Consulting |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
The Center for Child Development product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Center for Child Development delivers evidence-based mental health therapy services to children, teens, families, and adults across Delaware through three primary channels: on-site school-based therapy in 90+ partner schools, telehealth statewide, and in-person office visits at its Newark headquarters. Core services include anxiety treatment, trauma therapy (EMDR), play therapy, teen therapy, psychiatric medication management, autism assessments, and the Educator Wellness Program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Brave Hearts: An 8-week group therapy program for children ages 9-12 that helps build confidence, develop coping skills, and master emotional regulation in a supportive peer environment.
- Autism Access
- Educator Wellness Program
Products and services
- Child Therapy Individual therapy services for children ages 3-12 using play therapy, CBT, and trauma-informed approaches to address anxiety, behavioral concerns, and emotional difficulties. Delivered in-person, via telehealth, or in schools.
- Anxiety Treatment Therapy services providing practical tools through CBT, mindfulness, and personalized care to address anxiety in children, teens, and adults across all delivery modalities.
- Trauma Therapy (EMDR) Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy and trauma-informed care to help children, teens, and adults process and heal from traumatic experiences using bilateral stimulation.
- Play Therapy Evidence-based play therapy for children ages 3-12 using toys, games, art, and imaginative activities for self-expression. Includes Child-Centered Play Therapy, Directive Play Therapy, and Sand Tray Therapy.
- Teen Therapy Specialized therapeutic approaches tailored for teenagers addressing anxiety, identity challenges, social pressures, academic stress, depression, and trauma. Includes individual, group, and family therapy modalities.
- Adult Counseling & Wellness (Delaware Center for Counseling and Wellness)
Quantifiable outcome
- Serving 90+ schools throughout Delaware
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Center for Child Development
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
The Center for Child Development technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature9 records
The Center for Child Development partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Christina School DistrictcoreMajor school district partnership providing on-site mental health services to students. CCD therapists embedded in schools throughout the district serving Newark and eastern Wilmington areas.
- Red Clay Consolidated School DistrictcorePartnership covering western Wilmington and Hockessin area schools. On-site mental health therapy and staff training services.
- Brandywine School DistrictcoreNorthern Wilmington and Brandywine Hundred area schools. School-based mental health services for students.
- Colonial School DistrictcoreSouthern Wilmington and New Castle area schools. On-site mental health support services.
- Capital School DistrictcoreGreater Dover area schools. School-based mental health therapy services for Capital School District students.
- Caesar Rodney School DistrictcoreSouthern Dover and Camden-Wyoming area schools. School-based mental health services.
- Appoquinimink School DistrictcoreServes Middletown, Odessa, and Townsend with 16 schools including Appoquinimink High School, Middletown High School, and Odessa High School. Comprehensive on-site mental health services.
- Milford School DistrictcoreMilford and surrounding areas. On-site mental health support for students.
- Woodbridge School DistrictcoreBridgeville and Greenwood area schools including Woodbridge High School and Woodbridge Middle/Elementary schools.
- Laurel School DistrictcoreLaurel and surrounding communities including Laurel High School and Laurel Middle/Elementary schools.
- Indian River School DistrictcoreServes Georgetown, Millsboro, Selbyville, and surrounding areas. School-based mental health services.
- Sussex Technical School DistrictminorCounty-wide career-technical education district. Mental health service partnership.
- Cape Henlopen School DistrictminorServes Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, and Milton areas. School-based mental health services.
- AetnacoreIn-network insurance provider. CCD accepts Aetna for covered mental health services.
- Highmark BCBS DelawarecoreIn-network insurance provider. CCD accepts Highmark BCBS Delaware for covered mental health services.
- Health OptionscoreIn-network insurance provider. CCD accepts Health Options for covered mental health services.
- Delaware First HealthcoreIn-network insurance provider. CCD accepts Delaware First Health for covered mental health services.
- AmeriHealthcoreIn-network insurance provider. CCD accepts AmeriHealth for covered mental health services.
- Delaware MedicaidcoreIn-network state Medicaid provider. CCD accepts Delaware Medicaid plans for covered mental health services.
- Delaware CentenecoreAccepted insurance provider for Educator Wellness Program. CCD accepts Delaware Centene for educator mental health services.
- AffirmminorPayment plan partner for autism assessment services. Offers 3, 6, or 12 month payment plans with no hidden fees.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Center for Child Development competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Brightside Health: Telehealth mental health platform with focus on anxiety and depression treatment, accepting insurance. Comparable in modality (telehealth, insurance-based) though not specifically pediatric-focused.
- Mantra Health: Telehealth mental health provider focused on college students and adolescent populations. Partial overlap with CCD's youth mental health segment but operates in higher-education rather than K-12 settings.
Broad incumbents
- Lyra Health: Enterprise-focused mental health benefits platform serving employers and health plans. Comparable in therapy-plus-coaching model and employer-channel motion, though it does not specialize in pediatric or school-based delivery.
- Cerebral: National telehealth mental health and medication management platform. Comparable to CCD's integrated therapy-plus-medication-management model, with broader geographic reach but less pediatric specialization.
Direct peers
- Charlie Health: Provider of intensive outpatient (IOP) and virtual mental health treatment for adolescents and young adults. Overlaps with CCD's adolescent therapy segment and trauma-focused offerings.
- Talkspace: Public telehealth therapy platform accepting insurance and serving individuals and teens. Competes directly with CCD's telehealth channel and shares an insurance-based revenue model.
- Hazel Health: National school-based mental health provider that embeds therapists and teletherapy inside K-12 schools. Directly comparable to CCD's core school-based delivery model, though at significantly larger scale and with venture backing.
- Two Chairs: Hybrid in-person and teletherapy practice model with measured-outcome matching of clients to therapists. Comparable to CCD's blended in-person (Newark HQ) plus telehealth delivery and therapist-matching approach.
- Daybreak Health: Adolescent and youth-focused teletherapy platform that partners with schools and health plans to deliver in-network mental health care. Comparable to CCD's child/adolescent therapy and school-district partnership motion.
- BetterHelp: Largest consumer online therapy platform (owned by Teladoc). Competes with CCD's direct-to-consumer therapy channel on price, accessibility, and convenience for Delaware families.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Center for Child Development social profiles
Digital presenceThe Center for Child Development compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The Center for Child Development financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Center for Child Development leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
The Center for Child Development funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Center for Child Development M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Center for Child Development
What does The Center for Child Development do?
The Center for Child Development delivers evidence-based mental health therapy services to children, teens, families, and adults across Delaware through three primary channels: on-site school-based therapy in 90+ partner schools, telehealth statewide, and in-person office visits at its Newark headquarters. Core services include anxiety treatment, trauma therapy (EMDR), play therapy, teen therapy, psychiatric medication management, autism assessments, and the Educator Wellness Program.
Is The Center for Child Development a public or private company?
The Center for Child Development is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Center for Child Development founded?
The Center for Child Development was founded in 2005. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Center for Child Development based?
The Center for Child Development is headquartered in Newark, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Center for Child Development make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Insurance-Based Therapy Services are the primary driver. The others are sliding Scale Self-Pay, autism Assessment Services and mental Health Consulting & Training.
Who are The Center for Child Development's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Brightside Health and Mantra Health. Broad incumbents are Lyra Health and Cerebral. Direct peers are Charlie Health, Talkspace, Hazel Health, Two Chairs, Daybreak Health and BetterHelp.
Does The Center for Child Development have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Center for Child Development.
What industry is The Center for Child Development in?
The Center for Child Development's product category is Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFACAL, Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services), with a secondary code of EDAKAMAD, School-Based Mental Health Therapy (Licensed Clinicians). Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8093.