"What would you do if this child were your child?"

It's a question that Wayne Sims asked himself every day as the CEO of one of the largest non-profit child welfare organizations in the nation. Because when business decisions are made with heart, amazing things happen -- missions are met, values-driven cultures are created, organizations grow in sustainable ways, and human lives are changed for the better.

There is perhaps no business more complex and high-stakes than the business of caring for children and teens who are "in the system" -- who need behavioral healthcare and supportive, loving homes in the midst of major family trauma. And attempting to grow an organization across state lines, against all odds, in collaboration (and sometimes in opposition with) government and private entities, is no small task. The lessons offered by Wayne Sims in Non-Profit/Pro-Growth -- The KVC Story are equal parts inspiring, instructive and relevant, regardless of the industry in which you lead.

"In the fields of child welfare and behavioral healthcare, we meet at the juncture of hurt and heartache each time a child is removed from his or her family into foster care or each time a member of the family is hospitalized." -- Wayne Sims

Readers will gain a rare glimpse into the heart and mind of a leader who learned some of the most valuable career lessons possible. Learn how to:

- Hire for character, experience and matching values, not just educational credentials

- Turn every experience into an opportunity to learn and grow

- Engage the majority of a workforce in the mission, vision and culture of the organization

- Change tact and even strategy -- but never values or heart -- when leading in evolving business, social or political climates in which "successes are rarely permanent, and failures are never enduring"

- Avoid becoming functionally irrelevant as an organization by focusing less on process and more on cultural development and on achieving outcomes

- Use data to drive better decisions

- Create partnerships, practices and a purpose that outlasts your tenure.

Every year, there are more than 3.6 million referrals to child protection services agencies in the United States, involving more than 6.6 million children. A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds. This book is the story of the men and women at KVC Health Systems, who have worked day in and day out to ensure that the children in Kansas, Kentucky, West Virginia, Iowa and Missouri have an opportunity to live and grow in a healthy and safe environment.

Wayne Sims led his organization through 35 years of remarkable growth -- from a group home for five boys to a multi-state child welfare system that serves 60,000 children and families a year. This book is more than his memoir and more than a detailed corporate history. It's an insider's guide for current and aspiring social workers and human service professionals. It's a high-level instruction manual on privatization of child welfare services, and a love letter to the hundreds of KVC employees and supporters who made that history possible. And, in the end, it's a tribute to the thousands of children who KVC has served.