Children's Health Foundation

Children's Health Foundation (CHF) is a Canadian nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting specialized pediatric care, rehabilitation, and research focused on children's health. Established in 1922, the foundation raises funds primarily to benefit the Children's Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre, the Thames Valley Children's Centre (TVCC), and the Children's Health Research Institute (CHRI) in London, Ontario.

Mission and Impact

The foundation's mission is to inspire generosity to provide excellence in children's healthcare and research, ensuring better health outcomes and hope for children facing life-threatening or life-limiting conditions as well as their families. Donations to the foundation fund advanced medical equipment, innovative therapy and rehabilitation programs, and pediatric health research. By doing so, CHF helps enable cutting-edge care and supports pediatric health innovations that improve the quality and accessibility of services across Southwestern Ontario, including regions such as Windsor, Kitchener-Waterloo, and parts of Northwestern Ontario extending to Thunder Bay.

Key Contributions

Since its inception, Children's Health Foundation has been instrumental in delivering exceptional pediatric care by funding:

• Medical equipment, including advanced surgical tools like robotic arms and child-size stretchers.
• Specialized pediatric services at the Children's Hospital, which provides care for approximately 180,000 patient visits annually, including thousands of surgeries and neonatal intensive care for infants.
• Research projects conducted by the Children's Health Research Institute, the third-largest pediatric hospital research site in Canada, supporting numerous researchers and pioneering studies annually.
• Rehabilitation and educational programs offered at the Thames Valley Children's Centre.

In fiscal year 2023, CHF allocated $8.4 million in grants distributed across these three institutions, with the majority supporting patient care equipment and hospital services (65%), followed by research initiatives (21%) and rehabilitation programs (14%).

Regional Significance

Children's Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre, supported by CHF, is notable for pioneering specialized pediatric services in Ontario. It was the first hospital in the province to establish a Paediatric Neonatal Transport Team serving patients from birth to 18 years old and was among the first to use artificial lung surfactant for premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome.

Governance and Community Engagement

As a registered Canadian charity (Business Registration Number 118852482RR0001), Children's Health Foundation operates with transparency and accountability. It motivates a community of monthly donors and supporters through programs such as "Caring Hearts," emphasizing collective impact in improving pediatric healthcare.

The foundation fosters a strong relationship with the community by sharing stories of hope and progress, reinforcing the critical role of donor support in driving advances in children's health care and research.

Through its ongoing fundraising and grant-making efforts, Children's Health Foundation continues to play a vital role in shaping the future of pediatric health services and research in Canada, ensuring that children receive the best possible care and support for healthier tomorrows.

[1] https://childhealth.ca [2] https://childrenshospitals.ca [3] https://www.lhsc.on.ca/childrens-hospital/childrens-health-foundation [4] https://cchf.goradii.com/childrens-hospitals/childrens-health-foundation/ [5] https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-details/457-children-s-health-foundation