Kids belong

What Kids belong does

Kids Belong is a 501c3 nonprofit ministry headquartered at 277 Shonat St, Muskegon, Michigan, founded in 2013 to strengthen the foster care system in West Michigan by wrapping community supports around foster, adoptive, and kinship (FAK) families. The organization operates a portfolio of direct service programs including Foster Share Closets (free clothing, shoes, toys, diapers, and baby gear distributed through physical closets at Fellowship Reformed Church in Muskegon, Watermark Church in Grand Haven, and Holland Church of Christ), bi-monthly support groups, an online Facebook community, volunteer-driven Support Teams that respond to family crises, Family Fun Nights and Parent Nights, and an annual Back-to-School Open House that combines supplies distribution with community engagement. All of these services are provided free of charge to qualifying families and are delivered through a near-entirely volunteer model with only two paid staff (Executive Director Jeff Steele and Event Coordinator Katie Steele).

The organization's flagship capital project is First Place, a two-year transitional housing program launched in May 2022 for youth aged 18-24 aging out of foster care. First Place is being built as a 14-unit development of 7 duplexes in Muskegon, with the first 4 duplexes (8 apartments) completed by 2024 and the property plan also incorporating shared office, meeting, and agency-support space. Residents pay a graduated total of rent plus program fees starting at $350/month and stepping up to approximately $800/month over the program term; graduates may receive up to $1,800 in returned program fees plus up to $600 in security deposit support to ease the transition to independent housing.

Kids Belong's business model is donation- and sponsorship-driven rather than revenue-driven. Income flows from community fundraising events (e.g., Panera restaurant partnerships), business sponsorships (2025 event sponsors include Webb Chemical, WMD, Cunningham Dalman Tash, Shoreline Insurance, Best Financial Credit Union, Langlois Home Furnishings, and E&A Grocery), grants and individual donations (channeled through the Muskegon Community Foundation's First Place Building Fund), in-kind support from churches hosting venues, and small programmatic rent receipts from First Place. No revenue, ARR, funding rounds, or institutional investment is publicly disclosed. Marketing and outreach run primarily through church partnerships, community events, a WordPress website and blog, an email newsletter, and earned local media coverage (Fox17, WZZM 13, MLive, Star 105.7).

Name

Kids belong

Legal name

Kids Belong

Website

https://kidsbelong.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kids Belong is a West Michigan 501c3 nonprofit, founded in 2013 and based in Muskegon, that supports foster, adoptive, and kinship families through free clothing closets, support groups, and community events, and runs the First Place transitional housing program for youth aging out of foster care.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foster Care Support Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Temporary Shelters (624221)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Foster care services
• Kinship family support
• Transitional housing
• Nonprofit community services
• Adoption support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Muskegon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Fundraising: Community events such as restaurant fundraiser nights (e.g., Panera partnerships) where a portion of proceeds go to Kids Belong.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kids Belong is a West Michigan nonprofit that supports foster, adoptive, and kinship families through free clothing closets, support groups, family events, and holiday programs. Its flagship First Place program delivers 2-year transitional housing with mentoring and life-skills support to youth aging out of foster care, helping them establish rental and credit history. Services are funded by donations, sponsorships, and grants, with First Place residents paying graduated rent and program fees.

Product overview

Kids Belong is a non-profit ministry network of foster, adopt, and kinship families in West Michigan offering community support services rather than a unified software product. The organization operates multiple support programs including Foster Share Closets (free clothing and supplies), Support Groups, and Family Events. The flagship initiative is the First Place program - a 2-year transitional housing program for youth aging out of foster care, providing affordable apartments with mentoring and life skills support to help establish rental history and achieve independence. These programs work together to strengthen the foster care system through direct family support and community building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• First Place: A 2-year transitional housing program for youth exiting foster care, providing affordable and supportive housing in Muskegon to help young adults achieve independence and establish rental/credit history.

Products and services

• First Place A 2-year transitional housing program for youth exiting foster care (ages 18-24), providing affordable 1-bed/1-bath apartments with mentoring, life-skills training, and graduated rent payments ($350/month scaling to ~$800/month) to help residents establish rental and credit history and achieve independence.
• Foster Share Closets Free clothing, shoes, toys, diapers, and baby gear (car seats, swings) provided to foster, adoptive, and kinship families through closet locations hosted at partner churches in Muskegon, Grand Haven, and Holland.
• Family Fun Nights and Parent Nights Community events for foster/adopt/kinship families including dinner, games, crafts, and activities; Parent Nights provide separate childcare so parents can connect with each other without supervising children.
• Back To School Open House Annual summer event combining Family Fun Night with school supplies and backpack giveaways, inflatables, games, and closet shopping for foster/adopt/kinship families, hosted at multiple locations including Grand Haven.
• Support Groups Bi-monthly support group meetings held at various locations (e.g., coffee shops) for foster and adoptive parents to connect, share experiences, and provide mutual support, with a private Facebook online community supplementing in-person gatherings.
• Support Teams Network of community volunteers who provide direct support to foster/adopt families in crisis, including meals, furniture, bedding, and other tangible assistance, coordinated through a Facebook group and email list.
• Easter Baskets and Christmas Stockings Holiday support programs providing Easter baskets and Christmas stockings with gifts for foster/adopt/kinship families, with Christmas stockings assembled by volunteers and distributed to families.

Quantifiable outcome

• Youth who stay in foster care longer with additional supports tend to see better outcomes than peers who age out without supports
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fellowship Reformed ChurchcoreOthersHosts the main Kids Belong closet location at 4200 E Apple Ave, Muskegon. Open weekly Thursday evenings. Provides venue for Back to School Open House events.
• Watermark ChurchcoreOthersHosts Grand Haven closet location at 13060 US Highway 31, Grand Haven. Closet open by appointment for foster/adopt/kinship families.
• Holland Church of ChristminorOthersNew closet location by appointment only in Holland, MI area.
• Web ChemicalminorGTM or Marketing Partner2025 event sponsor for Kids Belong gatherings.
• WMDminorGTM or Marketing Partner2025 event sponsor for Kids Belong gatherings.
• Cunningham Dalman TashminorGTM or Marketing Partner2025 event sponsor.
• Shoreline InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing Partner2025 event sponsor.
• Best Financial Credit UnionminorGTM or Marketing Partner2025 event sponsor.
• Langlois Home FurnishingsminorGTM or Marketing Partner2025 event sponsor.
• E&A GroceryminorGTM or Marketing Partner2025 event sponsor.
• Fox17minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal news coverage featuring First Place program and Kids Belong initiatives, including video segments.
• WZZM 13minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal news coverage showing construction progress on First Place duplexes.
• MLive/Muskegon ChronicleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNews coverage during initial construction phase of First Place housing project.
• Star 105.7 RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio coverage bringing First Place story to listeners.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Together We Rise: A national nonprofit serving foster youth through welcome boxes, birthday programs, and scholarship support. Directly comparable as a foster-care-focused nonprofit combining direct material aid with community-building, operating at a larger national scale.
• A Sense of Home: Nonprofit providing furnished homes and household goods to youth aging out of foster care. Highly comparable to First Place — addresses the same housing-stability gap for aged-out youth, with physical furnishing as the intervention.
• FosterClub: National network supporting foster youth through leadership programs, advocacy, and peer support. Comparable as a community-and-support model serving foster and adopted youth and their families.
• Comfort Cases: Nonprofit providing duffel bags and essential supplies to children entering foster care. Closely comparable in mission (tangible supplies for foster youth) and in operating as a volunteer-driven donor-supported nonprofit.
• Hope Project: Nonprofit mentoring foster youth transitioning to adulthood. Comparable in targeting aged-out youth with transitional support, including mentorship (the Kids Belong treasurer is also a Hope Project mentor).

Broad incumbents

• Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption: Large national nonprofit focused on foster care adoption. Comparable in foster-care mission and use of corporate/foundation partnerships, though operating at far larger scale with a national footprint.
• National Foster Youth Institute: National advocacy and leadership organization for current and former foster youth. Comparable mission with aged-out youth focus; operates at significantly larger national scale with policy advocacy.
• Florence Crittenton: Multi-service nonprofit supporting youth and families through housing, parenting programs, and clinical services. Comparable as a youth-and-family services nonprofit with residential/transitional housing components.

Others

• Muskegon Community Foundation: Regional community foundation that manages Kids Belong's First Place Building Fund. Not a competitor but a key capital partner and ecosystem stakeholder in the West Michigan nonprofit infrastructure.

Regional players

• Michigan Youth Opportunities Initiative (MYOI): Michigan-specific initiative supporting youth transitioning out of foster care. Comparable in state/geographic focus and aged-out youth population, though operating as a state-affiliated program rather than independent nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kidsbelong
• Xx.com/Kids_Belong

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 belong