Child Study Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
THE CHILD STUDY CENTER (CSC) PROVIDES CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX DEVELOPMENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISABILITIES THE HIGHEST QUALITY DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND EDUCATION TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
- Income
- $6.9 million
- Spending
- $9.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 72%
- Reserves
- -15.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 63%
- Employees
- 74
- Volunteers
- 123
- Highest pay
- $3.6 million, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 30 out of 100. Higher than 5% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 107% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 42% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 17% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1572% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 63% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
18 of 254 of 4 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, 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)
- $3.8 million spent. COOK CHILDREN'S CONTINUES TO SERVE THIS UNDER-SERVED COMMUNITY AS A BEACON OF HOPE FOR EVERY PATIENT WHO WALKS THROUGH OUR DOORS EACH DAY. GUIDED BY OUR PROMISE TO IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING OF EVERY CHILD IN OUR COMMUNITIES, THE COMMITMENT TO INSTILL KINDNESS, IMAGINATION AND RESPECT IN OUR CARE IS UNWAVERING. BASED IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS, WE ARE SUPPORTED BY MORE THAN 10,000 DEDICATED TEAM MEMBERS, PASSIONATELY CARING FOR MORE THAN TWO MILLION PATIENT ENCOUNTERS EACH YEAR. OUR INTEGRATED, NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION SPANS THREE MEDICAL CENTERS, THREE SURGERY CENTERS, A PHYSICIAN NETWORK, HOME HEALTH SERVICES AND A HEALTH PLAN. IT ALSO INCLUDES THE CHILD STUDY CENTER, COOK CHILDREN'S HEALTH SERVICES INC., AND COOK CHILDREN'S HEALTH FOUNDATION. (SEE ON SCHEDULE O) ACROSS 94 PRIMARY, SPECIALTY AND URGENT CARE LOCATIONS, COOK CHILDREN'S PROVIDES LIFESAVING, FAMILY-CENTERED PEDIATRIC CARE GROUNDED IN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, TEAMWORK, SAFETY AND AN EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCE. OUR REACH EXTENDS FAR BEYOND TEXAS AS WE TREAT CHILDREN FROM ALL 50 STATES AND MORE THAN 30 COUNTRIES. BY SEEING THE WORLD THROUGH THE EYES OF CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS, WE PROVIDE CARE THOUGHTFULLY DESIGNED JUST FOR THEM. ABOUT CHILD STUDY CENTER COOK CHILDREN'S (CSC) CHILD STUDY CENTER COOK CHILDREN'S PROVIDES CHILDREN WHO HAVE COMPLEX DEVELOPMENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISABILITIES WITH THE HIGHEST QUALITY TREATMENT AND EDUCATION TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. AS OF NOVEMBER 2023, OUR MISSION SHIFTED TO FOCUS ON TREATMENT AND EDUCATION AS OUR DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES WERE RELOCATED TO THE DODSON SPECIALTY CLINICS ON THE COOK CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER CAMPUS. AT CSC, WE UNDERSTAND THAT DEVELOPMENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES ARE FREQUENTLY MULTI-DIMENSIONAL. THE WIDE APPROACH WE EMBRACE OFFERS A RANGE OF SERVICES INCLUDING DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS, APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS, PSYCHOLOGICAL CARE AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES THROUGH CSC'S JANE JUSTIN SCHOOL. APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS CHILD STUDY CENTER PROVIDES BEHAVIOR ANALYTIC SERVICES TO CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES WHO EITHER DISPLAY DIFFICULT BEHAVIORS, SUCH AS NONCOMPLIANCE, TANTRUMS, PROPERTY DESTRUCTION, SELF-INJURY AND AGGRESSION, OR LACK DESIRABLE SKILLS SUCH AS SELF-HELP, SOCIAL, PLAY, ACADEMIC AND LANGUAGE. USING APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS METHODS, THIS PROGRAM ALSO PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN WITH DIAGNOSES OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. THESE CHILDREN MAY ATTEND UP TO 35 HOURS PER WEEK WITH ONE-ON-ONE INSTRUCTION FROM PROGRAM SPECIALISTS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF BOARD-CERTIFIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSTS. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IS PROVIDED BY THE DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRIC DEPARTMENT FOR DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT SERVICES. IN FY25, VISITS TOTALED 6,020 AND TREATMENT SERVICES WERE PROVIDED TO A TOTAL OF 127 UNDUPLICATED PATIENTS. NATIONAL RECOGNITION IN OCTOBER 2025, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT RANKED PEDIATRIC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AT COOK CHILDREN'S IN THE TOP 50 IN THE NATION. THIS RANKING UNDERSCORES THE HOSPITAL'S COMMITMENT TO COMPASSIONATE, PATIENT-CENTERED CARE - ENSURING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES RECEIVE HIGH-QUALITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES THAT ADDRESS THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS.
- $3.2 million spent. JANE JUSTIN SCHOOL CHILD STUDY CENTER PROVIDES STRUCTURED SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION AND DIAGNOSIS FOR CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL AND/OR LEARNING DISABILITIES. THESE SERVICES ARE DESIGNED TO MAXIMIZE POTENTIAL FOR OPTIMUM ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. A TOTAL OF 112 UNDUPLICATED CHILDREN RECEIVED EDUCATIONAL SERVICES IN FY25. CSC CONTINUES TO GROW SERVICES IN THE UPPER SCHOOL PROGRAM OF JANE JUSTIN SCHOOL WITH THE AIM OF PREPARING THESE STUDENTS TO SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD WITH NECESSARY SKILLS TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY AND SECURE MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT. THE SCHOOL HAS HIRED ADDITIONAL STAFF TO SERVE MORE STUDENTS AND BEGAN THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR YEAR WITH ITS LARGEST ENROLLMENT IN ITS HISTORY. WE ARE NOW PARTNERING WITH OTHER COOK CHILDREN'S DEPARTMENTS TO PROVIDE JOB TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS. IN ADDITION, JANE JUSTIN SCHOOL OPENED A NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM TO SERVE ADDITIONAL STUDENTS IN OUR UPPER SCHOOL PROGRAM. FOR THIS CALENDAR YEAR THIS NEW CLASSROOM INCREASES OUR TOTAL ENROLLMENT SIZE TO 98 STUDENTS WITH ADDITIONAL GROWTH PLANNED IN THE FUTURE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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.
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.
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.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 1962.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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.