What Wohnschule Freienstein does

Wohnschule Freienstein (legal name: Stiftung Wohnschule Freienstein) is a Swiss private foundation operating a residential school in Freienstein, Canton of Zürich, approximately 15 km from Winterthur and 25 km from Zürich. Founded in 1838 as the "Rettungsanstalt für arme und verwahrloste Kinder auf dem Freienstein," the institution has provided continuous out-of-home residential care and education for nearly 187 years and was reorganized from an association into a foundation on July 4, 2013, formally beginning foundation operations on January 1, 2014.

The institution's core offering is integrated residential care and schooling for children and youth placed through cantonal and communal child and youth welfare authorities. The Internat is structured into four co-educational, mixed-age residential groups of nine children each (approximately 36 in total), staffed around the clock, 365 days a year, by trained social pedagogy professionals. Educational and developmental services are delivered alongside residential care through the in-house Schule, Erlebnispädagogik (adventure pedagogy, including climbing and outdoor programs), Hauswirtschaft (home economics), and Haustechnik (building services / facilities training). The campus sits on a hill below the Burg Freienstein ruins, offering outdoor space, a multi-purpose hall, a Freizeitschopf leisure facility, and an indoor climbing wall.

Revenue is generated principally through cantonal and communal placement contracts for child and youth welfare placements (state funding, in place since 1946) and supplemented by voluntary donations via the foundation's patron association and Einzahlungsschein payment slips. Distribution is entirely direct-institutional: referring authorities, social services, and families initiate placements through the school's formal admission process. There is no disclosed pricing, no public funding rounds, no parent company, and no external investor base. Since January 1, 2022 the school has operated under the new Kinder- und Jugendheimgesetz, and the 2022 Schulevaluation has been published, evidencing ongoing quality accreditation in a regulated, fixed-capacity social-services model.

Name

Wohnschule Freienstein

Legal name

Stiftung Wohnschule Freienstein

Website

https://wohnschule.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1838

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wohnschule Freienstein is a Swiss private foundation operating a residential school in Freienstein, Canton of Zürich, providing 24/7 social-pedagogical care, schooling, and adventure-based education for approximately 36 children and youth placed through cantonal and communal child welfare authorities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Freienstein, Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. State-funded residential care and education: Since 1946, the institution has received state financial support enabling operations. The school provides residential (Internat) and educational services funded through cantonal and communal child and youth welfare placements.
2. Donations and charitable contributions: Originally established in 1837 as a charitable institution funded entirely by voluntary donations from a patron association in Zürich and Winterthur. The foundation still accepts donations via anEinzahlungsschein (payment slip).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Wohnschule Freienstein operates a residential school (Wohnschule) in Freienstein, Canton of Zürich, providing round-the-clock out-of-home care and education for children and youth. The facility is organized into four co-educational, mixed-age residential groups of nine children each, staffed by trained social pedagogy professionals, and integrates schooling, adventure-based experiential education (Erlebnispädagogik), home economics, and building services within a rural campus operating 365 days per year.

Product overview

Wohnschule Freienstein is a residential school (Wohnschule) providing integrated care and education services for children and youth. The organization offers a coordinated portfolio of five interconnected services: the Internat (boarding) as the core residential service, supported by Schule (schooling), Erlebnispädagogik (adventure pedagogy), Hauswirtschaft (home economics), and Haustechnik (building services). The facility operates year-round with 365-day residential care and features dedicated spaces including a multi-purpose hall (Mehrzweckhalle), a leisure facility (Freizeitschopf), and an indoor climbing boulder area. Located in Freienstein in the Canton of Zürich, Switzerland, the institution has served children and adolescents since 1838 and operates under the Kinder- und Jugendheimgesetz since 2022.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Internat (Boarding) Round-the-clock residential care for children and youth organized into four living groups of nine children each, staffed by trained social pedagogy professionals and operating 365 days per year. Targeted at children and adolescents placed through cantonal/communal child and youth welfare authorities.
• Schule (School) Structured schooling delivered on-site to children and adolescents in residence, providing a short and clear school path within the residential setting.
• Erlebnispädagogik (Adventure Pedagogy) Adventure-based educational programs including outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, forest projects, and other experiential learning aimed at supporting personal development of residents.
• Hauswirtschaft (Home Economics) Home economics training and daily living skills education provided to residents as part of their development program.
• Haustechnik (Building Services) Technical and building services maintenance work combined with practical education, supported by on-campus facilities including a multi-purpose hall (Mehrzweckhalle), a leisure facility (Freizeitschopf), and an indoor climbing boulder area.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Dassoz (Das Soziale)minorOthersPartner organization linked on the Partner & Links page of Wohnschule Freienstein's website. Dassoz appears to be a Swiss organization in the social services sector based on its domain.
• VLZS (Verband für Leben, Zucht und Soziales)minorOthersPartner organization linked on the Partner & Links page. VLZS appears to be a Swiss association related to animal husbandry, breeding, and social matters.
• YouVitaminorOthersPartner organization linked on the Partner & Links page. YouVita appears to be a Swiss health and wellness organization based on its domain.
• Krisenintervention SchweizminorOthersPartner organization linked on the Partner & Links page. Krisenintervention Schweiz appears to be a Swiss crisis intervention organization.
• KinderanwaltschaftminorOthersPartner organization linked on the Partner & Links page. Kinderanwaltschaft is a Swiss child advocacy organization.
• Charta PräventionminorOthersPartner organization linked on the Partner & Links page. Charta Prävention is a Swiss prevention charter/initiative.
• NLA (Nationale Libere Assemblies / Swiss NGO)minorOthersPartner organization linked on the Partner & Links page.
• Bio LindenhofminorOthersPartner organization linked on the Partner & Links page. Bio Lindenhof appears to be a Swiss organic/biodynamic farm (Bio-Lindenhof), suggesting a potential partnership for organic food supply or agricultural education.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stiftung Wagerenhof: Swiss foundation based in Uster (Canton of Zürich) providing residential living and care for people with disabilities, including children and youth. Comparable as a regional Stiftung operating residential group homes with social pedagogy staffing in the same canton.
• SOS-Kinderdorf Schweiz: Swiss arm of SOS Children's Villages, providing family-like residential care for children and youth who cannot live with their families. Direct peer in the residential youth care model, with comparable funding mix (state placements and donations) and pedagogical staffing approach.
• Stiftung Kinderdorf Pestalozzi: Swiss foundation operating a children's village in Trogen that provides long-term residential care and education for disadvantaged children from around the world. Highly comparable as a Swiss Stiftung with a residential-education model for vulnerable youth, supported by donations and public funding.

Broad incumbents

• Pro Juventute Schweiz: Long-established Swiss foundation supporting children, youth, and families across Switzerland with a broad portfolio of services including counseling, housing support, and emergency aid. Comparable as a major Swiss child welfare Stiftung with overlapping target population but a non-residential service mix.
• Caritas Schweiz: Major Swiss social services organization with programs addressing child poverty, family support, and youth welfare. Comparable in the Swiss social-services funding ecosystem and target population, though its offerings are largely non-residential.
• Terre des Hommes Schweiz: Swiss child welfare foundation focused on children's rights and protection, both domestically and internationally. Comparable as a major Swiss child/youth-focused foundation with a donation-funded operating model, though it does not operate residential facilities itself.

Regional players

• Heime und Schulen Bürgerspital Basel: Residential and educational institutions operated under the Bürgerspital Basel foundation structure in the Basel region, providing care and schooling for children and youth. Comparable in operating model (residential care plus schooling) but serves a different Swiss linguistic region and geographic catchment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wohnschule-freienstein

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Wohnschule Freienstein