The issue of how to best support students’ learning this coming school year is gripping communities across the country. For many students and their families, the difficulties brought on by the pandemic have not subsided with time, especially in underinvested communities and communities of color. Even through the challenges of this crisis, school communities (virtual […]
In the last two months, conversations that I never thought would make it to the mainstream are suddenly circulating through social media graphics, news pieces, and corporate messaging. America is finally admitting that inequities stemming from white supremacy and racism have systematically cut off Black and Brown people from resources and political power, creating conditions […]
As a Black woman and an educator, I have been feeling many emotions since hearing of the brutal murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Primarily despair, grief, rage, and exhaustion. I look at my community and see so much beauty, vibrancy, and life. I am the aunt of four Black nephews, and […]
During this pandemic it’s been hard to keep physically and mentally healthy. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and a great time to talk about this topic. As an organization that focuses on children’s health, we are very concerned about how children and teens are faring as they deal with upended routines, restricted access to […]
Tennessee: The Children’s Health Fund (CHF) supported mobile program is part of a large collaboration between the City and County Government, the University of Tennessee, and multiple Federally Qualified Health Centers. Expanding access to testing for anyone who wants it has been a priority and great strides were made this past week as the CHF […]
During a recent video call with a patient, a medical provider from the Henry J. Austin Health Center (HJAHC) in Trenton, New Jersey, peeked at the area they could make out behind the patient on the small video screen. They could see they were living in close quarters, sharing a small apartment with three other […]
“Doctora, there’s no food at home. And we ran out of formula for the baby a few days ago.” These are the heartbreaking words uttered by a mother who brought in her baby, Anisa, for a six-month baby well-child checkup at the Children’s Health Fund-supported New Orleans Children’s Health Project (NOCHP). The baby was crying […]
You may have seen the recent reports in the news that COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting the Black community. This news leaves me feeling heartbroken. But, sadly, I’m not surprised that racial health disparities are being exacerbated by this pandemic. Communities that have historically been marginalized because of race, economic status, immigration status, or other aspects […]
Through the difficulty, injustice, and tragedy of this time, our teams across the country have not stopped fighting for the health of the most vulnerable children and families. They are part of the legion of support our entire country is relying on at this moment. Over the last few weeks, they have mobilized for those […]
Since we announced our urgent response to the coronavirus pandemic and creation of the COVID-19 Community Emergency Response and Recovery Fund, the clinics and programs we support across the country have been mobilizing to respond to the increasing needs of children and families already facing barriers to health and wellness. And on April 2, we […]
March 30, 2020 We can’t get through this without doctors and healthcare providers. Amidst the fear, grief, and uncertainty we are collectively experiencing as we cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, providers are on the front lines caring for our loved ones and protecting our communities. Every day, they brave the enormity of this crisis to […]
For families already experiencing poverty, homelessness, and instability, the changes brought on by the COVID-19 crisis have been devastating and extremely scary. Social distancing and other measures necessary to slow the spread of the virus have led to business and school closures. Some parents and caregivers have lost their jobs or had their work hours […]
The spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) impacts all of us. But as with any public health crisis, children and families already experiencing poverty and barriers to health and wellness, like many of those served at the clinics and programs we fund throughout the country, will be the most impacted by this pandemic. Families experiencing […]
As children’s health advocates, we can’t ignore the relationship between education and health: a child’s physical and mental health directly impacts their ability to learn. Similarly, the quality of education is a strong predictor of health and wellbeing well into adulthood. Recently, I returned with one of our early investors to PS 36, an elementary […]
When Kevin Chung joined Children’s Health Fund (CHF), he had been unemployed for roughly six months. And while financially he was secure, the concern about healthcare became a real one. Aside from the standard doctor visits, the worry about a scrape, a fall or even something more severe was always in the back corner of […]
Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth loves K-pop music. The high school sophomore, who lives in rural Idaho, has sights set on going to college in the northwest in a few years and becoming a marine biologist. But just two years ago, Elizabeth’s carefree and hopeful adolescence was interrupted by a tragic and traumatic experience: her mother and brother […]
During lunch, one afternoon at P.S. 36, an elementary school in Harlem, New York, a shy first-grader named Josiah plays with cards, action figures, and building blocks with his best friend. A scene like this, where Josiah is healthy and contently playing at school, is one his school’s administrators and teachers would like to see […]
Gladys María Campa has lived through many of the same difficult experiences as the children that she sees at the South Florida Children’s Health Project (SFCHP), a program supported by Children’s Health Fund (CHF) and housed at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine “I lived through the Cuban regime and went through a […]
As you gather with your loved ones to enjoy each other’s company and give thanks, we want you to know how Children’s Health Fund kept children healthy this past year: In 2019 we delivered brand new, state-of-the-art mobile medical clinics to our partners in Miami and New York. We also added a clinical program in […]
Children’s Health Fund was in good company at our Fall Reception, held on November 13th. At the event we honored the committed supporters who fuel the CHF-supported programs across the country, programs that ensure children do not go without essential and ongoing access to healthcare. Our guests included leadership from our Advisory Board, Board of […]
Leaders from the CHF national network of programs were in full inspirational form at the annual 2019 Children’s Health Fund Fall Conference, which took place in Phoenix, Arizona on October 22 through 24. Partners from across the CHF National Network gathered to listen, learn, and share our stories and successes in ensuring access to high-quality […]
By Wenimo Okoya, EDD, MPH, Assistant Vice President, Children’s Health Fund Healthy and Ready to Learn Initiative and Karen Redlener, MS, Children’s Health Fund Co-founder & Executive Vice President As published in the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health Newsletter Imagine walking into school each day preoccupied with the violence you witnessed in […]
Halloween is often synonymous with sweets. And while collecting candy is fun, these sugary foods can cause harmful and lasting repercussions on teeth. Parents and guardians can help save their little goblin’s teeth from all this sugar with a few helpful tricks: 1. Brush and Floss daily. Indulge in that extra piece of chocolate, just […]
Earlier this year, when How to Get Away With Murder actress Amirah Vann came to the Children’s Health Fund-supported mobile clinic program COACH for Kids in Los Angeles, she didn’t just meet our dedicated medical providers. She also visited a school where children receive health services through the mobile clinic and gave a group […]
When Cristina Muñiz de la Peña first met the young man and his mother, the teenager was distant. Cristina tried to engage with him, and he couldn’t open up. But as a psychologist, Cristina knew that his behavior reflected deeper traumas and dynamics in his life. The young man had just recently made a life-altering […]
It’s only been four months since 14-year-old Bella’s parents sold everything they had for the chance for their family — including Bella and her two young siblings — to come to the United States from Honduras. As they neared the border, Bella and her family hid in the frigid sierra to avoid being apprehended by […]
The Flores Settlement Agreement, a court settlement from 1997 in response to unsafe conditions and indefinite detention of migrant children seeking safe haven, is instrumental to safeguarding some of the most vulnerable children in our society. Any changes to it has the potential to negatively impact the health and wellbeing of children. Recent reports […]
As an organization committed to ensuring access to high quality healthcare for ALL children in America, Children’s Health Fund strongly opposes the public charge final rule issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The final rule is yet another example of this administration’s intent to change the war on poverty to a war on […]
Medical Director of the New Orleans Children’s Health Project As a pediatrician and a human being, it’s painful to think about what six-month-old Noel has already been through. Just two weeks before he arrived at my clinic, the New Orleans Children’s Health Project (NOCHP), Noel had been detained with his mother Adriana at the border […]
When three-year-old Nuria walked into the New Orleans Children’s Health Project for her medical appointment with Dr. Kim Mukerjee, she cautiously felt her way around. She came upon a trash can with a metal lid and banged on it curiously. After one bang, she bent down and put her ear to it, then kept banging […]
She was less than one month old, but Baby Rosa and her family had already been through an unimaginable journey when she arrived at Dr. Kim Mukerjee’s office for a checkup two weeks ago. Just four days before Rosa was born, her mother, father, and two young siblings arrived in the United States from Honduras. […]
“I can’t even begin to express the peace of mind that is knowing that your child has everything that they need,” said Dilenia, holding her 22-month-old daughter Sophia. Addressing the crowd on July 12 at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newest Children’s Health Fund (CHF) mobile medical clinic in New York City, Dilenia recalled the […]
Pride month has passed but our work to ensure the health of ALL children, especially those who are vulnerable, including LGTBQ youth, is ongoing and championed by exemplary medical providers in the field. In Phoenix, AZ, Dr. Vinny Chulani and his team found that too often, LGBTQ youth face learning environments so hostile that they […]
When a child walks into one of our clinics, we treat them regardless of their ability to pay or their immigration status. We believe ALL children deserve access to comprehensive healthcare. It is good for the child, it is good for our country and our future. For those of us dedicated to standing up for […]
We were blown away by the tremendous demonstration of care and support on display at our annual benefit, which took place last week in New York City. Over 400 people came together to learn more about our work and pay tribute to our honorees, collectively raising nearly $1 million! Athletic all-stars Allyson Felix, Katelyn Ohashi, […]
Our 2019 annual benefit is around the corner and we hope you will join us on June 5th at 6 p.m. at the historic Capitale! We will be honoring outstanding individuals and organizations who have invested their hearts, voices and financial support in the name of children and their well-being. Our friends, Andy Adler from […]
With the end of the school year upon us, we wanted to update you on the story of one special student, Isani Castro. Isani is graduating from college this week with a degree in political science and is looking forward to starting law school in the fall. For a child growing up in the South […]
Seeing Dilenia share a snuggle with her toddler Sophia, who glows with good health and delights in her mother’s affection, it’s hard to imagine their recent trauma and hardship before arriving at this happier moment. As an expectant first time mother, Dilenia’s real struggles began just two weeks before her due date when she and […]
To do well in school children must be in attendance. Children’s Health Fund’s Healthy and Ready to Learn program, used innovation and creativity to help eliminate absences. On the morning of the second day of March, the hallways at PS 36 were humming with excitement. In fact, more children aged 3-12 eagerly made their way […]
Children’s Health Fund is committed to ensuring kids can access healthcare whenever they need it. That’s why every year we make sure the voices of our medical providers across the country echo powerfully in Washington DC and are heard loud and clear by our nation’s elected officials. At our Spring Advocacy Conference last week, we […]
Some people have a rare ability to make visions come to life. They create tangible solutions to fix a dire need or gap that exists in the world. This spark of creation, the ability to make something out of nothing takes determination, endless resolve, and even a bit of magic. Karen Redlener, co-founder of Children’s […]
It’s hard to believe that even in a U.S. metropolis of four million people, there are still swaths, entire neighborhoods, where people and children are going without basic preventative care, let alone urgent medical care. And yet, this is the reality in Los Angeles. This Women’s History Month, we honor Michele Rigsby Pauley, a star […]
The movement to establish community health centers in the 1960s was born of the belief that healthcare is a civil right: that life, liberty, and happiness cannot be pursued without basic health. As a testament to this truth, we can invoke the words of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, who said, “…Of all the […]
In the 1960s times were changing in America. The civil rights movement was in full swing as the black community rightfully demanded rights and freedoms to help better their lives. Healthcare became an essential platform in the call for change. A young man named Olly Neal had a vision that embraced this ethos. We had […]
This Black History Month, it’s important to reflect on the urgency of health care access in the black community and the strong legacy that ties this deeply essential work to the civil rights movement. Activists during the civil rights era recognized poverty as a major hurdle to achieving equality and other basic rights–such as healthcare–and […]
The first thing you notice about LaPorsha Bourne is that she is practically bursting with positive energy and excitement for the future. You would never guess the depth of the challenges she has faced, including being homeless with a young son. While many of us associate homelessness with the person asleep on the subway or […]
The results are in and Children’s Health Fund is proud to say MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! The H&M holiday gift card campaign exceeded expectations raising $500,000! How many times have we seen fanfare accompany an announcement of intentions but never really learned of the outcomes? Well, not here, and not with H&M! The campaign is an amazing […]
Every day aboard our Memphis, TN based mobile medical clinic, we meet children with lives of extraordinary hardship and inspiring resilience who live the spirit of helping others. It is our goal that through the caring services of our medical teams we are able to help these kids grow up healthy and able to face […]
For over 30 years, Children’s Health Fund has been on the front lines delivering medical care to vulnerable children and advocating in support of programs and policies to ensure that all children have access to comprehensive, high-quality health care. Read More
Inspire and be inspired…that was the charge to the Children’s Health Fund (CHF) leaders from across our national network as we kicked off a three-day conference in Miami on October 16th. And inspire we did! Over the course of the gathering we listened, learned, and shared about what’s working in our efforts to break down […]
Thursday, November 8th 6-8 PM FISBOWL at the Dream Midtown Hotel 210 W. 55th Street New York, NY 10019 Buy Tickets
In trying to put the violent events in Pittsburgh and Kentucky into some sort of perspective, we here at Children’s Health Fund are struggling with our emotions. Many of us work here in response to what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question: ‘What are you doing for others?’” In […]
The cries were audible as I waited outside the exam room at the clinic at Children’s Health Fund’s Dallas program where eight-year-old Jerome* was being seen by a nurse. Jerome was complaining of ear pain, and had missed two days of school already. He, his mom, and baby brother were at the clinic when […]
For months, we’ve been anguishing over the separation of immigrant children and their families at the border, but not standing idle. We can’t; more than five hundred children remain separated from their families. That’s why on September 25th, Children’s Health Fund convened a roundtable discussion at the 2018 Concordia Summit in New York. The forum […]
It’s been an exciting time for children’s smiles here at Children’s Health Fund. We are sure you’ve thought that baseball isn’t exactly good for your pearly whites, (looking at you delicious Cracker Jacks), but in fact, that couldn’t be more false. This past July, MLB’s All Star Legacy project series unveiled a new mobile dental […]
Kerry* has been living on his own since the day he turned 18 – the day he came out to his mom as transgender. The response to Kerry’s coming out was not one of love and support, just the opposite; Kerry’s mom told him to leave the house and never come back. Since then, Kerry […]
We’ve all been inundated, overwhelmed and moved these past few weeks by the images of children suffering. Children in strange places, separated from their parents, without a home or a support system. Many of these children are younger than ten years old; like any of us would be, they are scared. For the teams […]
On May 17th, Children’s Health Fund & Nevada Health Centers, Inc., celebrated the expansion of our partnership with the unveiling of a new mobile medical clinic. The fully outfitted “doctors office on wheels”, which was built with funds from Red Nose Day USA, will be used to deliver high quality health care services to thousands of […]
Earlier this year, in a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, Congress overwhelmingly passed a budget deal that was signed by the President. That budget included a long-term extension of funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This prudent bipartisan agreement ensured that, for the next 10 years, CHIP – a program crucial to the […]
Earlier this year, Children’s Health Fund launched a new partnership with The Center for Rural Health Innovation (CRHI). To help introduce CRHI to the CHF audience, we conducted a brief Q&A with Amanda Martin, Executive Director and Dr. Steve North, Founder & Medical Director, as well as Children’s Health Fund CEO Dennis Walto to share […]
Comic Relief and Children’s Health Fund share a common goal of ending child poverty. And in the spirit of this common cause, we couldn’t be more excited about partnering with Comic Relief/Red Nose Day for our fourth year in a row! Children’s Health Fund is the largest provider of mobile based primary care for underprivileged […]
Standing in front of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN recently, I was reflecting on the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And in looking around me, at the diverse and building crowd that was gathering to bear witness to the anniversary of his tragic death at that same spot […]
Five weeks ago the reprise from students across the country was “Never Again”; yet here we are today, watching as the details are released on yet another school shooting. We are deeply saddened by the news of this morning’s tragic event at Great Mills High School in Maryland, and continue to add our voice in […]
Children’s Health Fund envisions a future where all of America’s children get the care they need to be healthy and ready to reach their potential in learning and life. A key part of this mission is to activate in times of crisis to serve those most at-risk and we feel that the recent shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 children and educators lost their lives at the hands of an individual with an assault weapon, is a moment for change. While this event stands by itself as a tragedy, since the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, more than 430 people have been shot in over 200 school shootings. When seen in this context, we are compelled to stand with students, parents, teachers and a rising chorus of Americans to say Never Again.
Today marked an important step forward for the health and well-being of America’s most medically underserved children. With the early morning passage of a budget deal, Congress finally lifted the cloud of uncertainty that hovered over many essential health programs that serve as a lifeline to our nation’s most vulnerable.
Today, Children’s Health Fund published a report in the Public Library of Science (PLOS-One) titled “Missed Opportunities,” revealing that an alarming majority of US states fail to require adequate health screenings for school-aged children. Findings from the report, featured by Reuters, present evidence that asserts states are not doing an equal or adequate job ensuring […]
For 30 years Children’s Health Fund has been providing health care to some of America’s most disadvantaged children. What started in 1987 with the idea of delivering vital health care to children living in New York City’s homeless shelters, has grown into a national network of 26 programs in 15 states and the District of […]
Winter seemed to arrive in a hurry this year – maybe it was the unseasonable warm fall weather we had, or maybe it was the hustle and bustle of the holiday season that just seemed to mask the inevitable temperature drop… But the bitter chill of winter arrived in full force last week, and we […]
Happy New Year! 2017 marked Children’s Health Fund’s 30th anniversary providing essential health care services to children and families in need. Thanks to your support, we were able to provide more services to more children in more locations than ever before. Please see the video below from our Chief Executive Officer, Dennis Walto, highlighting some of […]
Critical child health programs have been teetering on the brink of financial collapse since October. Now, in the aftermath of moving a massive piece of tax legislation, it’s time for Congress to resolve the roadblocks and come to an agreement that immediately restores funding of the Child Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), Community Health Centers and […]
It’s well known that we are grateful and reflect upon all that we have on Thanksgiving Thursday, perhaps hit the stores to spur the economy on Black Friday, and even surf the web to snag great deals on Cyber Monday, but have you heard about Giving Tuesday? In the spirit of the holiday season, Giving […]
A world of positive change is taking place inside a classroom at PS 36 elementary school in Harlem. Student’s footsteps echo through the halls as they run into the room where the door is always open to greet Ginelle Wynter, site coordinator for Healthy and Ready to Learn (HRL). Many mornings, Joseph Peña, a boy […]
This year marks Children’s Health Fund’s 30th Anniversary of providing care to America’s most disadvantaged children. What began as a single mobile unit in New York has grown into a robust national network of programs serving nearly 100,000 children and their families across 16 states and the District of Columbia each year. It is thanks to […]
NEW YORK, NY, November 16, 2017 – On Monday, November 20, 2017 the New York Children’s Health Project marks its 30th year providing high-quality health care to children and opens the expanded Deerfield Child & Family Health Clinic serving homeless children and families in the South Bronx. The New York Children’s Health Project was the […]
Children’s Health Fund commends efforts to restore funding to programs that comprise essential threads of the “Child Health Safety Net” and urges bipartisan efforts to complete the job On September 30th, funding for a number of critical child health safety net programs expired, putting the health and wellbeing of millions of kids in jeopardy. We […]
Dennis Walto, MA & Delaney Gracy, MD Watching the water level slowly rise outside her house, seven-year-old Molly wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. Her Mom and Dad were monitoring the weather channel and checking their phones constantly trying to both assess the current situation and anticipate what might come next. They were […]
In response to yet another attempt to reverse the progress America has made in improving child health coverage and access, Children’s Health Fund strongly urges Congress to reject the Graham-Cassidy health care proposal, which could bring significant harm to the future health and well-being of children. Introduced last week by Senators Graham (S.C.), Cassidy (La.), […]
Today is a solemn day of remembrance and reflection on the tragic attacks that our nation endured 16 years ago. The events of 9/11 inspired America to unite, strengthened our resolve to serve others and affirmed our responsibility to never forget. Children’s Health Fund joins the nation in mourning the lives lost on that day. […]
Children’s Health Fund (CHF) health care professionals provide pediatric care to some of the nation’s most medically underserved children. Families in these communities have witnessed first-hand the critical and positive impact of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CHF strongly urges Congress to support a 5 year extension of CHIP funding. “In 2016 alone, CHIP […]
Over the past several days, I have been on the ground in Texas assessing the needs of children in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and have witnessed the extraordinary devastation across southeast Texas. As I told NBC News last week, I believe it will take more than a decade for the impacted regions of Texas […]
Children’s Health Fund strongly urges U. S. Senate to reject the Affordable Care Act repeal bill titled the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017. Despite repeated assurance that the Senate version of the bill would lessen many of the draconian cuts written into the American Health Care Act passed in the House, the Better Care […]
At the Carter Elementary School on Chicago’s South Side, the iconic Children’s Health Fund Mobile Medical Unit may have been parked, but it was operating at full speed. Children from a newly arrived family were busy getting their school physicals – including immunization updates and screenings for health barriers to learning – and the parents […]
Children’s Health Fund (CHF) joins children’s advocacy groups across the country in opposing President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2018 (FY 18) budget released yesterday. “By taking away the safety-net programs that help children and families mitigate the impacts of poverty, the budget cuts proposed by the Trump Administration would result in a literal free-fall for poor […]
Thanks to Morgan Stanley’s commitment to children, the screens on their global headquarters in Times Square will light up with Children’s Health Fund messaging for the entire month of May through the ‘Lights on Broadway’ Campaign. City residents and tourists alike can take pictures in front of the large screens depicting images of Children’s Health […]
It’s been called “a little bit of hope and health on wheels” but the Children’s Health Fund program in Phoenix, implemented through a strong partnership with Phoenix Children’s Hospital, knows that delivering high quality health care to poor children and families can also mean staying home – especially if that home is the United Methodist […]
CHF strongly opposes repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and urges Congress to carefully consider the potentially disastrous effect repeal would have on the wellbeing of America’s children, especially its most vulnerable children. Significant strides over the last five decades have brought the uninsured rate for children to a historic low. It is estimated […]
The CEOs participating in the Conscious Capitalism® Summit I attended recently outside of Austin, Texas are clearly purpose driven. Equally purpose driven are the doctors, nurses and administrators of the Children’s Health Fund Austin program, which I also visited that same week. And while the 35 miles that separated these two groups seemed a world […]
Historic rainfall and flooding in southern Louisiana have left the region devastated and vulnerable, affecting many families still recovering from similar flooding that hit the area in early March. As of this past Sunday, more than 20,000 residents in southern Louisiana have been rescued from their homes, and more than 10,000 people have relocated to shelters.
It has been said that networking is both an art and a science; but at Clinton Global Initiative meetings, it is the opportunity for impact. Over the past several years I have had the privilege of working with the team at CGI on issues such as redefining “First Responder” assumptions for humanitarian relief in Africa, […]
Pulling up next to Children’s Health Fund’s mobile medical clinic in Watts recently, I was taken aback at the contrasts. The drive to 103rd Street in South Central Los Angeles had been populated by a chorus of liquor stores, churches, boarded up shops, more churches and more liquor stores. Arriving at the Florence Griffith Joyner […]
We now know that over the past two years, children and families in Flint, MI have been exposed to dangerously high levels of lead in their water. We know too that this lead exposure has likely caused irreparable damage to children and that the problem itself – lead leaching pipes that carry water into the […]
Tearful words were being spoken to Carlos quickly, and in Spanish; his repetition in English was slower, and more deliberate. He looked over to me as he repeated the woman’s words, then he turned back to his work — again listening to Juanita, the mother of 10-year-old Maria Pablo. Maria Pablo had been suffering chronic […]
