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Daybreak Health

School-partnered teletherapy for K-12 students

Overview

Daybreak Health provides online mental health services for K-12 students by partnering with schools to expand their teletherapy capacity. Its programs are evidence-based and tailored to individual needs, with specialized sub-programs for high-risk groups (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, low-income students, rural or homeless students). The service operates through schools’ referrals and delivers a full treatment cycle of 12+ weeks, with the aim of improving students’ mental health and, in turn, their academic performance. Unlike providers that offer short-term or generic care, Daybreak Health positions itself as a high-quality, value-driven partner that offers a comprehensive, long-term program rather than a check-the-box solution. The company’s goal is to scale real, lasting improvements in students’ mental health and education outcomes by delivering structured, school-based teletherapy.”}When done. Please respond with the summary.

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About Daybreak Health

Simplify's Rating
Why Daybreak Health is rated
C+
Rated C on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

EducationHealthcare

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

Series B

Total Funding

$24.9M

Headquarters

San Francisco, CA

Founded

2019

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Simplify's take

What believers are saying

  • Daybreak says it now serves more than 1 million enrolled students across districts.
  • California named Daybreak a statewide partner on October 26, 2026, strengthening public-market credibility.
  • The November 2026 FullBloom webinar signals an active pipeline for Catapult Learning and SESI expansion.

What critics are saying

  • FullBloom can absorb Daybreak’s value into CharacterStrong, weakening Daybreak’s standalone leverage in 2027.
  • California CYBHI reimbursement changes threaten a major no-cost-to-district sales motion and revenue mix.
  • BetterHelp, Hazel Health, and district-employed clinicians can win schools by undercutting referral friction.

What makes Daybreak Health unique

  • FullBloom invested on October 28, 2026, pairing Daybreak with CharacterStrong’s 13,500-school reach.
  • Daybreak sells insurance-billed teletherapy, letting districts buy care with zero direct cost.
  • Its K-12-specific workflow combines referrals, matching, dashboards, and care coordination for schools.

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Funding

Total Funding

$24.9M

Below

Industry Average

Funded Over

4 Rounds

Series B funding is typically for startups that have proven their business model and need more funding to expand rapidly—often by entering new markets or adding more products. Investors are usually venture capital firms that specialize in later-stage investments.
Series B Funding Comparison
Below Average

Industry standards

$35M
$30M
$45M
$65M
$100M

Benefits

  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Professional Development Budget
  • Stock Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

1%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

6%
Toti.com
Oct 28th, 2026
FullBloom invests in Daybreak Health to pair teletherapy with CharacterStrong in K-12 schools

FullBloom, a US child development services platform, has made a strategic investment in Daybreak Health, a provider of K-12 teletherapy and school-based mental health services. The amount was not disclosed. The investment backs a partnership between Daybreak and CharacterStrong, FullBloom's character education and school mental health division. It pairs CharacterStrong's prevention, screening, and tiered curriculum with Daybreak's one-to-one teletherapy and onsite clinical services. Daybreak's services are billed to insurance and can be free to school districts. CharacterStrong operates in over 13,500 schools, which Daybreak chief executive officer Alex Alvarado said will help scale support. FullBloom plans to extend the offering to its Catapult Learning and Specialized Education Services, Inc. (SESI) clients. The companies will host a webinar on November 3.

GlobeNewswire
Oct 28th, 2026
FullBloom invests in Daybreak Health, pairing Daybreak's virtual therapy with FullBloom's CharacterStrong division to deliver the most comprehensive suite of Mental Health solutions to K-12 schools.

FullBloom invests in Daybreak Health, pairing Daybreak's virtual therapy with FullBloom's CharacterStrong division to deliver the most comprehensive suite of Mental Health solutions to K-12 schools. The partnership between CharacterStrong, FullBloom's mental health division, and Daybreak will create a seamless connection between CharacterStrong's Tier 1-3 curriculum and student support programs and Daybreak's teletherapy and onsite clinical care for students and families. October 28, 2026 10:10 ET | Source: FullBloom PHILADELPHIA and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - FullBloom, the nation's leading child development services platform providing academic, behavioral, and emotional intervention and support, today announced a strategic investment in Daybreak Health, the leading provider of K-12 teletherapy and school-based mental health services. The investment underpins a new partnership between Daybreak and CharacterStrong, FullBloom's PreK-12 character education and school-based mental health division. Their union creates the first end-to-end mental health solution built for the way schools actually work - pairing CharacterStrong's prevention, screening, and Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 curriculum and training with Daybreak's 1:1 teletherapy and onsite clinical services. FullBloom's investment reflects its belief that high-quality, school-based mental health support is integral to every school's success and a core component of what a modern multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) must deliver. "FullBloom is investing in Daybreak Health because we have clear mission alignment and share the belief that school-based mental health support is essential to a student's academic success," said Jeffrey Cohen, chief executive officer of FullBloom. "We are building the first truly comprehensive MTSS services platform, integrating academic, behavioral, and mental health supports uniquely tailored to the needs of each student. This investment and partnership are critical steps toward that objective." Billed to insurance, Daybreak Health's clinical services can be delivered at no cost to a school district. "Daybreak Health is a natural extension of CharacterStrong's MTSS supports," said John Norlin, president and co-founder of CharacterStrong. "This partnership lets us extend our work of prevention, screening, and Tier 1 through Tier 3 curriculum into licensed clinical care, so a need identified never becomes a need unmet." Though the partnership is launching with CharacterStrong, FullBloom intends to extend the offering to clients in its other operating divisions, Catapult Learning and Specialized Education Services, Inc. (SESI), over time. Together, CharacterStrong and Daybreak are building a single, connected continuum of support: schools can strengthen the environments where students experience belonging and safety; screen and identify needs earlier; intervene with precision when needs emerge and when a student's needs extend beyond what a school can reasonably provide; and connect that student to qualified clinical professionals without losing momentum, time, or trust along the way. FullBloom's strategic investment in Daybreak Health continues a long-term commitment to building a comprehensive K-12 mental health services platform. The two organizations will integrate their products, data, and clinical pathways. "With FullBloom's investment and CharacterStrong's presence in over 13,500 schools across the country, we can scale mental health support, getting students into care faster and keep them supported longer," said Alex Alvarado, CEO and co-founder of Daybreak Health. "We are very excited about this partnership." How the Partnership Works An inside-out approach to MTSS. CharacterStrong equips educators and student-support teams with Tier 1 prevention and promotion curriculum, validated universal screening, assessment-to-action and root-cause analysis, targeted Tier 2 interventions, individualized Tier 3 supports, progress-monitoring and fidelity tools, and professional learning and coaching. An outside-in approach to continuity of care. When clinical mental health care is the appropriate next step, or when district capacity can't meet student demand, Daybreak Health extends the continuum through 1:1 teletherapy designed for K-12 students, onsite clinical services, personalized clinician matching, care coordination among students, families, clinicians, and school teams, and insurance-supported delivery models that can reduce financial barriers for districts and families. For districts, the result is a single partnership spanning prevention, screening, Tier 1-3 intervention, and clinical care - rather than a patchwork of disconnected point solutions and referral lists. The two companies will host a webinar on Nov. 3 titled Beyond the Referral: Building a Complete Mental Health Continuum in Your District. Anyone interested in attending can register here. About CharacterStrong CharacterStrong is a leading provider of empirically supported PreK-12, multi-tiered solutions designed to support whole child success. In partnership with educators, CharacterStrong enhances student well-being, belonging, and engagement through innovative curricula, professional development, and targeted interventions across the Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 continuum. Since its founding in 2016, CharacterStrong has partnered with schools and districts serving over 7 million students worldwide and trains 65,000 educators annually. CharacterStrong is a division of FullBloom. Learn more at CharacterStrong.com. About Daybreak Health Daybreak Health is the leading provider of K-12 teletherapy and school-based mental health services. Daybreak partners with school districts to give students in grades K-12 access to high-quality, affordable, and culturally competent care, including 1:1 teletherapy and onsite clinical services. Daybreak's evidence-based programs are designed to drive measurable symptomatic, functional, and behavioral improvement, and its clinicians specialize across dozens of mental health conditions and modalities of care. Learn more at DaybreakHealth.com. About FullBloom FullBloom is the nation's leading child development services platform, providing academic, behavioral, and emotional intervention and support. FullBloom creates better life outcomes for children and their families through evidence-based programs, including specialized education, intervention services, professional development, and mental health programming. Founded in 1976, FullBloom supports students, families, school districts, and educators nationwide across its operating divisions, including Catapult Learning, Specialized Education Services, Inc. (SESI), and CharacterStrong. Learn more at FullBloom.org.

WISH-TV
Jan 19th, 2025
Orr Fellowship offering opportunities for young professionals

Stephen Emch, president of the Orr Fellowship, and Megan Green, director of marketing, joined Daybreak to welcome in their 2025 cohort.

WISH-TV
Nov 20th, 2024
Get fit and help underserved youth with the YMCA's Thanksgiving runs

Don Casey, associate executive director of the Hendricks Reginal Health YMCA, joined Daybreak to talk about the runs.

DeKalb Community Unit School District 428
Oct 8th, 2024
DeKalb Community School District 428

DeKalb Community Unit School District 428 announces a new partnership with Daybreak Health to provide free mental health services, including teletherapy, to students and families across the district.

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