Families First

What Families First does

Families First is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Brattleboro, Vermont, that delivers person-centered support services to youth and adults with developmental disabilities and to youth in state custody. Founded in 1996 by three families, the organization has operated continuously for more than 28 years across Southern Vermont and, as of May 2025, has extended into Bennington County with a second office. Service lines include Career Connect (a Supported Employment program), Job Club, the SPOKE summer employment intensive, Banyan House (a 24/7 staffed residential program for youth in the custody of the Vermont Department for Children and Families, launched in 2022), an After-Hours Crisis Response service, a Home Provider Program, and the Invest EAP employee-assistance offering delivered through a partner.

The organization's underlying technology and operating stack is built on commodity sector tools: Carelogic serves as the electronic health record, UKG handles payroll, Sandata provides electronic visit verification (EVV), Company Mileage tracks travel, and Aris Solutions administers payroll. Intake management is outsourced to Public Consulting Group (PCG), a vendor specialized in Medicaid HCBS systems. The organization owns and operates from the 47-acre Bordertown Farm campus in Brattleboro, a distinctive physical asset that supports agricultural, vocational, and residential programming.

Families First's revenue model is anchored in Vermont's Medicaid Developmental Services Home- and Community-Based Services Waiver, supplemented by government grants and corporate sponsorships. The organization also generates a smaller stream of commercial revenue through the Invest EAP partnership. Reimbursement is delivered through fee-for-service billing against waiver rates, with Direct Support Professionals starting at $22.50/hour as a publicly disclosed wage benchmark. The organization operates as a private non-profit with no public revenue or audited-financial disclosure, and its payer concentration is overwhelmingly weighted toward a single state Medicaid program.

Name

Families First

Legal name

Families First

Website

https://familiesfirstvt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Families First is a Southern Vermont 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides person-centered support services — including supported employment, 24/7 residential care, and crisis response — to youth and adults with developmental disabilities and youth in DCF custody, primarily funded through Vermont's Medicaid HCBS Waiver.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Developmental disability services
• Supported employment programs
• Residential support services
• Crisis intervention support
• Community integration programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Brattleboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medicaid Developmental Services Waiver: Primary funding source through Vermont's Medicaid Developmental Services Waiver program. The agency serves individuals who meet eligibility criteria including Vermont residency, Medicaid eligibility, and clinical diagnosis of developmental disability.
2. Government Grants and Sponsorships: Funding from Vermont state agencies, community foundations, and corporate sponsors including Vermont Community Foundation, Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council, and Price Chopper's Golub Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Families First is a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency that delivers person-centered support services for youth and adults living with developmental disabilities in Southern Vermont. Its core offerings include supported employment (Career Connect, Job Club, SPOKE), 24/7 residential programs (Banyan House, Home Provider Program), and after-hours crisis response, all funded through Vermont's Medicaid Developmental Services Waiver.

Product overview

Families First is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering a portfolio of person-centered support services for youth and adults living with developmental disabilities in Southern Vermont. The organization operates multiple integrated service programs: Career Connect, Job Club, and SPOKE form the Employment Program providing supported employment services; Banyan House provides 24/7 residential support for youth in DCF custody; After-Hours Crisis Response offers emergency support; and the Home Provider Program facilitates residential care in shared homes. The organization also partners with Invest EAP for employee assistance benefits. For internal operations, Families First utilizes Carelogic (EHR/health records), UKG (payroll/HR), Sandata EVV (visit verification), and Company Mileage (mileage tracking) platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Career Connect: Supported Employment Program offering assistance in all aspects of employment, utilizing self-advocate talents and interests to develop individualized employment plans.
• Job Club
• SPOKE
• Banyan House

Products and services

• Career Connect

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported employment and job retention services through Career Connect program led by Certified Employment Support Professional

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brattleboro Advocacy Group (BRAG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024BRAG officers sponsor classes and social events at Families First and connect with statewide civil rights advocacy campaigns. This is a key partnership for advocacy and community engagement.
• Vermont Parks ForeverminorOthersCommunity partner and grantor providing support for outdoor and nature-based programming.
• Vermont Community FoundationminorOthersMajor grantor providing financial support for organizational programs and services.
• Vermont Developmental Disabilities CouncilcoreOthersState agency partner providing advocacy support and grant funding for disability services.
• Price Chopper's Golub FoundationminorOthersCorporate foundation providing grant funding for organizational operations.
• Richards GroupminorOthersCommunity partner and sponsor.
• Edible BrattleborominorOthersLocal community partner supporting food and agricultural programming.
• GMSAminorOthersCommunity partner and sponsor.
• HorseplayminorOthersCommunity partner supporting programming.
• Thomas Thompson TrustminorOthersTrust providing grant funding for organizational programs.
• Jasmine Healing ArtsminorOthersCommunity partner supporting wellness programming.
• Public Consulting Group (PCG)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPCG manages the intake and eligibility process for Vermont's Developmental Disabilities Services. Contact: 1-833-426-5668 or [email protected]. Available 8:30-4:30 pm Monday-Friday.
• Invest EAPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvest EAP provides employee assistance benefits to Families First employees and household members, including short-term counseling, resources, referrals for workplace issues, relationship issues, personal issues, legal and financial struggles, and child/elder care assistance. Available 24/7 at 1-866-660-9533.
• Aris SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationAris Solutions provides payroll processing and administrative services. They manage the respite hiring packet process for Home Providers and conduct background checks when paperwork is submitted. Also integrated with Carelogic, UKG, and Company Mileage platforms.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BrightSpring Health Services: Public diversified home and community-based services platform including developmental disability services under brands like ResCare. Operates a much broader portfolio of DD, home health, and behavioral services across multiple states.
• Sevita Health (formerly The MENTOR Network): Large national provider of home and community-based services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including supported employment, residential, and day services. Broad incumbent operating at much greater scale across many states.
• Easterseals: National nonprofit network delivering disability and community-based services including employment support, residential, and case management. Comparable mission and service mix but operates across many states with significantly larger scale.
• Addus HomeCare: Public home and community-based services provider delivering personal care, hospice, and home health, with a meaningful presence in state Medicaid waiver programs. Comparable Medicaid waiver-funded service model at significantly larger scale.
• The Arc of the United States: National umbrella organization advancing rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with affiliated state chapters. Comparable mission and advocacy orientation, broader scope and policy reach than a single Vermont operator.

Emerging players

• Bayada Home Health Care: National home health and personal care services provider with a growing developmental disabilities practice including pediatric and adult in-home supports. Comparable home-based, waiver-funded service delivery, though operates at much larger scale and broader geography.

Regional players

• Lifespan (Rochester, NY): Nonprofit delivering services to older adults and individuals with disabilities across Western New York, including case management and in-home supports. Comparable mission and human-services operating model, primarily serving a different region than Vermont.
• Pathways of the River Valley: Vermont/New Hampshire-based nonprofit providing supports for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, including residential and day services. Comparable nonprofit DD provider with similar Vermont/New England regional focus.

Direct peers

• The Arc of Vermont: Vermont chapter of The Arc, providing advocacy and direct services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the state. Direct peer in the same geography serving the same Vermont Medicaid Developmental Services Waiver population.
• HowardCenter: Burlington, VT-based nonprofit delivering developmental, mental health, and substance use services. Direct peer serving individuals with developmental disabilities through Vermont's DS system, with comparable community-based service model and Medicaid funding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FamiliesFirstSouthernVT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/families-firstvt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Families First