Children's Friend and Service

What it reported doing in 2025

Family support initiativeduring 2025, there were 324 families who received home visiting services from the early head start program. The family support programs target at-risk families with children between the ages of birth to 3 years living in providence, pawtucket and central falls, Rhode Island. Home based social, emotional, and child development services, crisis intervention, case management, health and nutrition education, prenatal education, counseling and parenting education are provided to the families in their primary language. In addition to weekly home visits, families participate in center-based activities and support groups offered to both mothers and fathers.head start is a comprehensive child and family development program that promotes school readiness in low-income preschool children. Services include education, health, nutrition, social services and other child and family supports. Parents are involved in their children's learning and the program helps families in meeting their educational, literacy and employment goals.the head start program ensures that all children are up-to-date with immunizations and that their health needs are being met. Children receive nutritious meals and snacks while participating in the program. Families are linked with resources and provided support in meeting their goals.the agency provides services under the head start program in providence and the blackstone valley area. A total of 1,167 children and their families received services through the program during 2025.the early head start childcare partnerships support working families by providing a full-day, full-year program so that low-income children have the healthy and enriching early experiences they need to realize their full potential. During 2025, 114 children and their families received services.child care centerthe agency operates child care centers in central falls, pawtucket, and providence. There were 180 children enrolled in the centers in 2025 and an additional 67 through the summer learning and enrichment program. The pre-kindergarten program provides high-quality pre-kindergarten classes to eligible children. Ride oversees the program. 354 children participated in 2025professional developmentthe professional development program provides quality training programs open to the community, early care educators, and staff of the agency and our agency partners. Approximately 400 employees and members of the external community and the agency partners participated in the trainings during 2025.foster care/permanency services the adoption/foster care program provides a full continuum of adoption, counseling, case-management, support and educational services for birth parents, children, adoptive parents and adult adoptees. The program also provides foster care placements for at-risk infants and children ages birth to 10 years who are in need of temporary out of home care, through a contract with the state department of children, youth and families. The program also recruits, trains and assists in the licensing of foster parents.in 2025, 0 adoption home studies were completed for 0 prospective adoptive family. Foster care services were provided to 19 children, 0 new foster families were trained, 1 family was licensed and 13 previously licensed families remained active, for a total of 14 licensed families.in addition, the program responded to inquiries for information and referrals regarding adoption and foster care related issues.fostering families provides support services for kinship and foster families. All referrals for services are made through the department of children, youth, and families (dcyf). The goal is to address the needs of foster and kinship families with foster children who are at risk of experiencing removal during the duration of their time while open to dcyf. Services are provided in home, and include but are not limited to: linkage to community resources, court advocacy and case conferencing, intensive

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 95%; rating input score 95
• Program expense ratio: 95.2%; rating input score 95
• Fundraising efficiency: $24.75 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 0%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.97; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.2; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 2.7%; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 3.8% per year; rating input score 100; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings