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The Childrens Home Society of Missouri

EIN 43-0652622 · Saint Louis, MO

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair66 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE AGENCY'S OVERARCHING PHILOSOPHY IS BASED IN THE NEUROSEQUENTIAL MODEL OF THERAPEUTICS (NMT), DEVELOPED BY DR. BRUCE PERRY. NMT IS A TRAUMA-INFORMED, DEVELOPMENTALLY SENSITIVE APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF A CHILD'S HISTORY ON CURRENT FUNCTIONING. GUIDED BY NMT, FAMILYFORWARD'S COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES SUPPORT THE CHILD, FAMILY, AND BROADER COMMUNITY. FAMILYFORWARD SERVED 5,478 CHILDREN, THEIR FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN 2020. FAMILYFORWARD WAS THE FIRST AGENCY IN THE ST. LOUIS REGION TO BECOME SITE CERTIFIED IN NMT AND HOLDS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING PHASE TWO NMT TRAINED BY THE NEUROSEQUENTIAL NETWORK. FAMILYFORWARD IS ACCREDITED BY THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AND COUNCIL ON ACCREDITATION, AND HAS ACHIEVED THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF DONOR TRANSPARENCY FROM GUIDESTAR, THE WORLD'S LARGEST SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.

Income
$11.6 million
Spending
$14.2 million
Spent on programs
76%
Reserves
6.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 66%
Employees
158
Volunteers
259
Highest pay
$225,374, chief executive officer

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 66 out of 100. Higher than 56% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 6.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 3% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 23% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 6% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    76% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 49 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    26 of 26 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (2)
  1. $7.0 million spent. DEVELOPMENTAL TRAUMA CENTER - FAMILYFORWARD UTILIZES A DEVELOPMENTALLY-FOCUSED APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND THE IMPACT OF SIGNIFICANT CHILDHOOD TRAUMA. EVERY CHILD AND FAMILY IS UNIQUE AND IT IS ESSENTIAL TO HAVE A VARIETY OF MODELS AVAILABLE SO THAT TREATMENT CAN BE ADAPTED FOR THE INDIVIDUAL. FAMILYFORWARD HAS ASSEMBLED A TEAM OF CLINICIANS WITH TRAINING IN A WIDE RANGE OF THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS - THIS ALLOWS EACH CHILD TO BE EVALUATED AND FOR THE APPROPRIATE INTERVENTION TO BE DETERMINED - AS OPPOSED TO PROGRAMS THAT OFFER SPECIFIC INTERVENTIONS TARGETING ONLY THE PRESENTING SYMPTOMS. INCLUDED IN THIS PROJECT ARE INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, AND GROUP COUNSELING SERVICES, PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION AND TRAUMA ASSESSMENT SERVICES, AND PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS - ALL FOCUSED ON THE TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. FAMILYFORWARD ALSO PROVIDES AN INTENSIVE TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR THREE TO FIVE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN OTHER TRADITIONAL DAY CARE AND/OR PRESCHOOL SETTINGS BECAUSE OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES.
  2. $3.8 million spent. FOSTER CARE - AS A MEMBER OF THE CPP, FAMILYFORWARD PROVIDES SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES INCLUDING FOSTER, ADOPTIVE, KINSHIP, AND RELATIVE FAMILIES RESIDING IN THE MISSOURI REGIONS; ST. LOUIS CITY AND ST. LOUIS, ST. CHARLES, JEFFERSON, AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES. CPP IS A CONSORTIUM OF THREE HIGHLY RESPECTED CHILD WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS, EPWORTH CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES, FAMILYFORWARD, AND YOUTH IN NEED. IT WAS FORMED IN 2005 TO PROVIDE FOSTER CARE CASE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, THROUGH A CONTRACT WITH THE MISSOURI CHILDREN'S DIVISION. THE CEOS OF THESE AGENCIES SERVE AS THE MANAGING BOARD. ANNUALLY, CPP PROVIDES SERVICES TO OVER 1,000 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since November 1941.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.