braley & thompson
Braley & Thompson (operating as StepStone Family & Youth Services) is a private social services provider and subsidiary of BrightSpring Health Services delivering therapeutic foster care, adoption certification, independent living, developmental disability services, and mental health wraparound programs for children and families across 10 U.S. states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersLouisville, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What braley & thompson does
Braley & Thompson, now operating as StepStone Family & Youth Services, is a private social services provider and subsidiary of BrightSpring Health Services (Res-Care, Inc.) that delivers therapeutic and non-therapeutic foster care, adoption certification, independent living programs, and community-based treatment services for children and families. Founded in 1979 in Virginia, the organization operates across 10 U.S. states (Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia) through 35+ local offices, serving vulnerable populations including children in foster care, foster and adoptive families, individuals with developmental disabilities, and Native American children requiring ICWA-compliant placements. Corporate headquarters are in Louisville, KY (805 N. Whittington Parkway), and the entity was consolidated under the StepStone brand alongside A Place to Call Home (Arizona, founded 1998).
The service portfolio spans a continuum of care including therapeutic foster care, non-therapeutic foster care, teenage foster care, kinship foster care, and tribal foster care, alongside specialized programs such as Child and Adult Developmental Homes (Arizona, Medicaid waiver-funded through DDD and ALTCS), StepStone Family Therapy (telehealth and in-person), and mental health wraparound services. Supporting infrastructure includes proprietary evidence-based curricula: the 10-module My Place independent living curriculum for ages 14-21, the P.R.E.P. parenting education program, the Parenting Skills Training (PST) curriculum built on attachment and trauma-informed theory, and the SAFE Home Study Model for evaluating prospective foster and adoptive homes. The organization runs case management systems and trauma-informed care platforms supporting foster care placement, family support services, and behavioral health interventions, with secure telehealth delivery expanded across all 120 Kentucky counties. CARF accreditation is held at the Nashville, Tennessee office and HIPAA compliance is maintained across operations.
Revenue is generated primarily through state government contracts and Medicaid waiver programs — including contracts with Departments of Child Safety, Child Protective Services, and Divisions of Developmental Disabilities — supplemented by per-diem reimbursement to foster parents (tax-free maintenance payments plus additional therapeutic care compensation) and limited private-pay arrangements for Parent Aide and In-Home Family Support services. Distribution occurs via direct service delivery through the 35+ office network, foster parent recruitment (website inquiries, virtual info sessions, community events, radio), and contract pursuit through Requests for Proposal (RFP/RFI) from public and private sectors. The go-to-market is sales-led and enterprise-field-driven, with referrals sourced from state agencies, DSS, court services, FAPT, case managers, mental health support workers, teachers, and parents.
braley & thompson firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- braley & thompson
- Legal name
- StepStone Family & Youth Services
- Website
- https://braleyandthompson.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Braley & Thompson (operating as StepStone Family & Youth Services) is a private social services provider and subsidiary of BrightSpring Health Services delivering therapeutic foster care, adoption certification, independent living, developmental disability services, and mental health wraparound programs for children and families across 10 U.S. states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
braley & thompson industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Foster Care and Child Welfare Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services (EDAJAKAK)
Keywords
Where braley & thompson is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Louisville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices34 records
Markets served
braley & thompson business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Government Contracts - Child Welfare Services: Revenue generated through contracts with state child welfare agencies, Departments of Child Safety, and Child Protective Services for foster care placement, family support services, and related programming. Services funded by federal and state government programs.
- Medicaid Waiver Programs: Developmental home services for adults with disabilities funded through Medicaid waiver programs including DDD (Division of Developmental Disabilities) and ALTCS (Arizona Long-Term Care System). Room and board reimbursed through Social Security funds.
- Foster Parent Reimbursement: Foster parents receive per diem reimbursement for daily expenses of each child in care. Tax-free payments for foster care maintenance, with additional compensation for therapeutic foster care services. Reimbursement rates vary by state and level of care.
- Adoption Certification Services: Services supporting families through adoption certification process, including pre-service training, home studies, and court approval coordination. Families can be certified to adopt even without identifying a specific child.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Standard Foster Care Reimbursement |
| Other | Monthly | Private-Pay Family Support Services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
braley & thompson product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Braley & Thompson, operating as StepStone Family & Youth Services, delivers therapeutic and non-therapeutic foster care, adoption certification assistance, independent living programs, developmental home services for children and adults with disabilities, in-home family support, and outpatient mental health counseling across 10 U.S. states. Services are delivered through a network of licensed foster and developmental homes supported by 35+ local offices and are primarily funded by state child welfare contracts and Medicaid waiver programs.
Product overview
StepStone Family & Youth Services (formerly Braley & Thompson) operates as a comprehensive social services platform providing foster care, adoption, and family support programs across multiple U.S. states. The company offers a multi-tiered portfolio including therapeutic and non-therapeutic foster care as a core offering, paired with specialized services such as child and adult developmental homes (Arizona), tribal foster care, kinship foster care, and independent living programs for transitioning youth. Supporting services include adoption certification assistance, outpatient counseling, the Parenting & Resource Education Program (P.R.E.P.©), community independent living courses using the My Place curriculum, respite services, in-home family support, and mental health wraparound programs. The company also provides StepStone Family Therapy Services offering evidence-based mental health therapy via telehealth across Kentucky. The overall architecture functions as a unified service platform addressing the full lifecycle of child welfare and family support needs, from foster placement through independent living and permanent adoption.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% positive outcomes for children in Ohio provider matching process in 2024
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use braley & thompson
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
braley & thompson technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
braley & thompson partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Arizona Kids ConsortiumminorOrganizational membership in Arizona Kids Consortium, a collaborative network of child welfare organizations in Arizona working to improve services for children and families.
- Foster & Adoptive Council of TucsonminorOrganizational membership supporting foster and adoptive family services in the Tucson area through collaboration with other child welfare organizations.
- Phoenix Indian CenterminorPartnership to support Native American communities and provide culturally appropriate services for tribal foster care programs.
- AZ Department of Child SafetycorePrimary government partner for foster care, adoption, and child welfare services in Arizona. Services contracted through formal government agreements.
- Foster Parent CollegecoreCollaborative partnership with Foster Parent College providing blended learning approach to pre-service training. Integrates strengths of in-person group sessions with online self-paced training for foster parent preparation.
- Child Welfare League of AmericacorePartnership ensuring training content is relevant and incorporates current evidence-based practices, especially trauma-informed parenting approaches.
- Arizona DDD (Division of Developmental Disabilities)corePrimary partner for developmental disability services in Arizona, contracting for Adult Developmental Homes (ADH) and Child Developmental Homes (CDH) services through Medicaid waiver programs.
- West Virginia State AgenciescoreFormerly Braley & Thompson, provides contracted services for mental health wraparound, children's services, and foster care programs in West Virginia since 1979.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
braley & thompson competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sevita Health (formerly The MENTOR Network): Large national provider of foster care, therapeutic foster care, and intellectual/developmental disability (IDD) home and community-based services. Directly comparable in service mix (foster care + developmental homes), government contracting model, and multi-state footprint.
- Youth Villages: Nonprofit providing intensive in-home services, foster care, adoption, and transition programs for at-risk children and families. Comparable therapeutic foster care and youth independent living programs targeting state child welfare contracts.
- KVC Health Systems: Nonprofit child welfare and behavioral health provider offering foster care, adoption, family preservation, and residential treatment across multiple states. Similar contract-driven revenue model with state child welfare agencies.
- Pressley Ridge: Nonprofit offering foster care, adoption, residential treatment, and community-based programs for children and families across several states. Directly comparable in therapeutic foster care, family services, and government contracting.
- Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Large nonprofit operating foster care, residential, and community-based behavioral health programs for children and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Comparable continuum of care and multi-state contract base.
- National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP): Nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, family preservation, and independent living services across multiple states. Comparable service mix and heavy reliance on state child welfare and Medicaid contracts.
- Bethany Christian Services: Nonprofit offering adoption, foster care, pregnancy counseling, and refugee services across the U.S. Directly comparable in adoption certification, foster family licensing, and family support programming.
- Empowering People for Inclusive Communities (EPIC) / Merakey: Provider of intellectual and developmental disability services, behavioral health, and foster care across multiple states. Comparable in IDD home services funded through Medicaid waivers.
Broad incumbents
- BrightSpring Health Services: Parent company of StepStone Family & Youth Services. Diversified health services platform including pharmacy, home health, behavioral health, and family/youth services. StepStone operates as a specific line within BrightSpring's broader portfolio.
- Lutheran Services of America: Network of Lutheran social service organizations providing foster care, adoption, refugee services, and disability services. Comparable in faith-rooted child welfare and family services delivery, though decentralized network structure differs.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
braley & thompson social profiles
Digital presencebraley & thompson compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
braley & thompson financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
braley & thompson leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
braley & thompson funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
braley & thompson 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 braley & thompson
What does braley & thompson do?
Braley & Thompson, operating as StepStone Family & Youth Services, delivers therapeutic and non-therapeutic foster care, adoption certification assistance, independent living programs, developmental home services for children and adults with disabilities, in-home family support, and outpatient mental health counseling across 10 U.S. states. Services are delivered through a network of licensed foster and developmental homes supported by 35+ local offices and are primarily funded by state child welfare contracts and Medicaid waiver programs.
Is braley & thompson a public or private company?
braley & thompson is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was braley & thompson founded?
braley & thompson was founded in 1979.
Where is braley & thompson based?
braley & thompson is headquartered in Louisville, United States, in the North America region.
How does braley & thompson make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Government Contracts - Child Welfare Services are the primary driver. The others are medicaid Waiver Programs, foster Parent Reimbursement and adoption Certification Services.
Who are braley & thompson's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sevita Health (formerly The MENTOR Network), Youth Villages, KVC Health Systems, Pressley Ridge, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP), Bethany Christian Services and Empowering People for Inclusive Communities (EPIC) / Merakey. Broad incumbents are BrightSpring Health Services and Lutheran Services of America.
Does braley & thompson have an API?
No public API is recorded for braley & thompson.
What industry is braley & thompson in?
braley & thompson's product category is Foster Care and Child Welfare Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAE, Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services, with a secondary code of BPAGAEAC, Family & Parenting Support Services. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.