central plains center for services

What central plains center for services does

Central Plains Center for Services is a private, non-profit human services agency founded in October 1994 and headquartered in Broken Bow, Nebraska, with additional offices in Lincoln and Omaha. The organization serves youth and young adults aged 14-25 across all 93 Nebraska counties and 76,121 square miles through a network of 41 staff distributed statewide. Its primary beneficiary populations are youth who have experienced foster care, youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness, pregnant and parenting young adults, and victims of human and labor trafficking, with a more recent extension into early childhood support for prenatal-to-3-year-olds and their families in the Custer County area through the Sixpence program.

The organization's service portfolio is organized into three program areas — Coaching, Education, and Financial Literacy — supported by supplementary offerings. Coaching includes Preparation for Adult Living Services (PALS), a one-on-one transitional and independent living coaching model, and the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project (YHDP), a HUD-funded homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing initiative. Education includes the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program (up to $1,600 per year per youth) and the Back on Track Postsecondary Education Coaching Model built on the Jobs for the Future framework, in addition to Sixpence. Financial Literacy centers on Opportunity Passport, a matched savings and asset-building program from the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. Supplementary programs include RentWise tenant education, driver's education for foster youth, and virtual parenting classes (Love & Logic, Circle of Security). All services use a trauma-informed, strength-based, voluntary coaching methodology and are delivered free of charge to eligible participants. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is built on in-person, phone, and email-based coaching relationships.

The business model is grant- and donation-funded rather than revenue-generating. Funding sources include federal contracts (Chafee ETV, HUD YHDP), a state contract with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, a contracted partnership with the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation for ETV administration, grants from foundations including Casey Family Programs, the Fred and Amanda Glade Foundation, the Edgar Reynolds Foundation, the Snow-Redfern Foundation, and the Grand Island Community Foundation Youth Philanthropy Board, and individual donations. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven: referrals come from schools, Nebraska DHHS, child welfare systems, and partner agencies, supplemented by Opportunity Passport classes, educational events, fundraising events, and conference participation. Annual operating revenue is not publicly disclosed; impact reporting indicates 2,400+ youth served in 2023 and a 92% program success rate.

Name

central plains center for services

Legal name

Central Plains Center for Services

Website

https://central-plains.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Central Plains Center for Services is a Nebraska-based nonprofit founded in 1994 that provides free coaching, educational, and financial literacy services to youth aged 14-25 experiencing foster care, homelessness, pregnancy or parenting, or trafficking, across all 93 Nebraska counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and Family Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Services (611)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Transition Services (Secondary to Postsecondary/Employment, Life Skills) (EDAJAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Benefits Counseling & Financial Literacy for Transition-Age Youth (EDAKANAJ), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH), After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM)

Keywords

• Youth coaching services
• Foster care support
• Financial literacy programs
• Youth homelessness services
• Postsecondary education coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Broken Bow

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Grants: Central Plains receives federal funding through programs including the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program under the John H. Chafee Foster Care to Independence Act, and the Youth Homeless Demonstration Project (YHDP) partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Funding is also received through contracted partnership with Nebraska Children and Families Foundation.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations from individuals and organizations. Donation amounts suggested include $10, $25, $50, and $100, with options for recurring monthly donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Central Plains Center for Services is a nonprofit social service agency that delivers coaching, educational, and financial literacy programs to youth and young adults ages 14-25 across Nebraska. Its core offerings include the Preparation for Adult Living Services (PALS) coaching program, the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project (YHDP), the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) college assistance program, the Back on Track postsecondary coaching model, the Sixpence early childhood program, and the Opportunity Passport matched savings and financial literacy program. All services are provided free of charge to eligible youth.

Product overview

Central Plains Center for Services operates as a nonprofit human services agency offering a coordinated suite of programs organized into three core service areas: Coaching, Education, and Financial Literacy. The coaching division includes Preparation for Adult Living Services (PALS) for independent living support and the Youth Homeless Demonstration Project (YHDP) for homelessness prevention. The education division encompasses the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) for college financial assistance, the Back on Track Postsecondary Education Coaching Model for postsecondary pathway support, and Sixpence for early childhood development. Financial literacy services center on the Opportunity Passport matched savings program. Additional offerings include RentWise tenant education, Driver's Education assistance, and Virtual Parenting Classes (Love & Logic and Circle of Security). All programs use a trauma-informed, relationship-based, youth-led, and strength-based coaching approach to serve youth ages 14-25 across Nebraska.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preparation for Adult Living Services (PALS) Transitional and independent living coaching program that pairs youth aged 14-25 with professional coaches for one-on-one work to assess strengths, identify personal vision, and build skills for becoming successful independent adults.
• Youth Homeless Demonstration Project (YHDP) A funded partnership program between Central Plains and HUD designed to reduce youth homelessness in Nebraska through coaching, homeless diversion and prevention services, and rapid rehousing assistance for youth ages 24 and under.
• Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Federally funded program under the John H. Chafee Foster Care to Independence Act providing financial assistance up to $1,600 per year for tuition, fees, and books, plus one-on-one coaching support for current and former state wards to attend college.
• Back on Track Postsecondary Education Coaching Model Three-phase postsecondary coaching model (Enriched Preparation, Postsecondary Bridging, First Year Support & Beyond) implemented using Jobs For the Future's framework to help youth explore, navigate, and succeed in postsecondary and career pathways.
• Sixpence Early Childhood Program Early childhood program for children prenatal to 3 years old and their families in the Custer County Nebraska area, providing parent educators who coach and encourage caregivers on age-appropriate child development through home visits, developmental screenings, and family socializations.
• Opportunity Passport Matched savings, asset-building, and financial literacy program that equips participants with financial knowledge, banking connections, and guidance in planning asset purchases such as a first home, postsecondary education, or small business. Part of the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative.
• RentWise Tenant Education Six-hour tenant education curriculum teaching effective strategies for finding quality, affordable rental housing, covering communication with landlords, money management, the rental process, and tenant responsibility.
• Driver's Education for Foster Youth Program covering the cost of driver's education classes for eligible youth with foster care experience who were in care at least one day after age 13 and have not yet reached age 23.
• Virtual Parenting Classes Evidence-based parenting classes including Love & Logic and Circle of Security curricula, offered via Zoom or in-person to young adults who are pregnant and/or parenting.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of youth who utilize Central Plains services reach their goals and leave the program in a better position than when they arrived
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nebraska Children and Families FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral Plains has a contracted partnership with Nebraska Children and Families Foundation to administer the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program. This is a key funding and program partnership that enables the delivery of educational support services to foster youth across Nebraska.
• Nebraska Department of Health and Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNebraska DHHS is a key government partner that refers youth to Central Plains services and collaborates on serving Nebraska's vulnerable youth populations.
• Nebraska Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHUD partners with Central Plains through the Youth Homeless Demonstration Project (YHDP), providing federal funding to reduce youth homelessness in Nebraska through coaching and rapid response services.
• US Cellular (After School Access Project)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerUS Cellular's After School Access Project partnership helps ensure youth have access to technology and connectivity needed for educational success.
• Casey Family ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization committed to advancing cutting-edge strategies to uplift vulnerable communities. Central Plains' work has been highlighted in research briefs from Casey Family Programs as part of the LEAP initiative.
• University of Nebraska - Center on Children, Families, and the LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership providing research collaboration and expertise in child welfare, families, and the law to strengthen Central Plains' programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services: Nebraska's state human services agency that refers youth to Central Plains and contracts for service delivery — a regional peer in the same Nebraska foster-care and youth-services ecosystem.

Direct peers

• FosterClub: National nonprofit serving youth in and aging out of foster care with peer support, leadership training, and transition resources — directly comparable in mission to Central Plains' PALS and ETV programs.
• Covenant House: National nonprofit providing housing, education, and employment support to youth experiencing homelessness and trafficking — overlapping with Central Plains' YHDP and PALS coaching models at greater geographic scale.
• Larkin Street Youth Services: San Francisco-based nonprofit providing housing, education, and employment services to youth experiencing homelessness — directly comparable in service mix to Central Plains' YHDP and Back on Track programs.
• National Network for Youth: National membership and advocacy organization supporting youth-serving organizations addressing homelessness and transition-age youth — directly comparable to Central Plains' YHDP and PALS programs.
• Nebraska Children and Families Foundation: Central Plains' contracted ETV program partner in Nebraska; both organizations serve Nebraska's foster-care and transition-age youth population and share overlapping board and funding relationships, making them the most directly comparable peer.
• Youth Villages: National nonprofit providing evidence-based intervention and transition services for at-risk youth, including former foster youth — comparable to Central Plains in service model and target population.
• Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative: Annie E. Casey Foundation initiative that created the Opportunity Passport matched-savings model Central Plains operates; a direct peer in the financial-literacy and asset-building space for transition-age foster youth.

Broad incumbents

• Casey Family Programs: National foundation operating in the same foster-care-to-independence space; funds Central Plains and operates direct service programs in multiple states, making it a broader incumbent peer addressing the same transition-age youth population.

Emerging players

• SchoolHouse Connection: National nonprofit focused on education success for children and youth experiencing homelessness — overlapping with Central Plains' Back on Track and YHDP educational support services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/centralplainscenterforservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-plains-center-for-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about central plains center for services