How a Dallas Nonprofit Used Software to Rethink Child Welfare — 15 Years On

A milestone moment: 15 years of a children-first mission turning tech into care

Both Ends Believing (BEB) is marking its 15th anniversary this year, and its message is plain: better systems make better care for children. What started as a small effort to help caseworkers do their jobs has grown into a tech-forward nonprofit that builds tools and trains agencies to keep families together and children safe.

The anniversary announcement is more than a feel-good update. It’s a reminder that the messy, human work of child welfare — finding safe homes, coordinating services and tracking outcomes — responds to better information and simpler tools. BEB’s pitch over the last decade and a half has been that software and better data can cut delays, reduce mistakes and help social workers focus on families instead of paperwork.

Origins and growth: from a local idea to an international presence

BEB began as a local project in Dallas, founded by social workers and technologists who saw the same problem from different angles: overloaded caseworkers and brittle record systems. Over the last 15 years the group has expanded steadily, adding staff with experience in social work, data science and software design.

That slow build has produced a steady list of milestones: pilot programs with city and county agencies, formal partnerships with nonprofits, and the launch of training programs for frontline staff. Each stage was practical — testing in one county before rolling code and manuals out to the next. The approach has kept the organization small enough to be nimble but broad enough to bring its methods to new places.

Inside Children First: software built for caseworkers, not dashboards

The heart of BEB’s offering is its Children First software. This is not a flashy analytics suite. It is a toolbox designed to make casework less chaotic: a shared client record, automated task reminders, prompts for critical steps and simple reporting that agencies can actually use. The software focuses on the workflow of caseworkers — what needs to happen next for a child or family — and ties services together so no one falls through a gap.

What sets it apart, BEB says, is the focus on practical fixes rather than theoretical models. Instead of asking agencies to overhaul their entire IT stack, Children First integrates with common systems, offers offline modes for workers in the field, and emphasizes user training. BEB also packages program guidance — templates, meeting scripts and checklists — alongside the software so organizations get both a tool and the how-to for making it work.

Measured gains: where the work matters and what it looks like

BEB points to several types of results to show impact. Agencies using its tools report faster case documentation, fewer missed court dates and clearer handoffs between social workers and partner services. On the ground, this can mean a child getting services sooner, a family receiving support to avoid separation, or a caseworker with more time for face-to-face visits.

Geographically, BEB’s programs now touch communities beyond Dallas — working with agencies in multiple U.S. states and in several international settings where social systems are adapting to digital records. The organization says it has supported tens of thousands of children and families through direct programs and partnerships, while many more benefit from the training materials and software deployed across partner agencies.

Alongside numbers, the group shares short, human stories: a foster placement created faster because paperwork was synchronized; a parent connected to counseling and housing help after an outreach worker could see gaps in service. Those anecdotes underscore what the software is meant to unlock — time, clarity and better decisions.

How the work is funded and kept going

BEB’s model mixes philanthropy, grants and fee-based services. Major donors and foundations provide seed money for pilots and scaling, while government contracts and licensing fees for Children First help cover operations as programs move from pilot to production. Training and technical assistance add a modest revenue stream that supports ongoing improvement.

That blended approach has kept BEB flexible: it can chase innovation with donor dollars while steady service agreements with agencies help make some programs self-sustaining.

Looking ahead: scaling what works and inviting others to join

As it looks to the next five years, BEB plans to expand its software footprint, refine its training programs and deepen partnerships with governments and large nonprofits. New features aim to make cross-agency coordination simpler and to bring more evidence into everyday decisions without adding work for busy staff.

For readers and organizations interested in the mission, BEB’s offer is straightforward: adopt practical tools, commit to staff training and build partnerships that share data and responsibility. The organization’s 15 years suggest that step-by-step improvements, not flashy fixes, are what change outcomes for children.

Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels

Sources

• prnewswire.com