Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation

                                                                ABOUT ILCHF


The Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation (ILCHF) has a single vison: to ensure every child in Illinois has the opportunity to grow up healthy.  Working through grantee partners across the state, the Foundation focuses its grantmaking on identifying and funding solutions to the barriers that prevent children from accessing the ongoing health care they need.

The Foundation's philosopy is that health care must address the whole child, and that the healthcare system in Illinois must be responsive to the needs of all children.    The Foundation is also committed to the concept of a medical/dental home where a child and his/her family can receive high quality and consistent care informed by knowledge of the child and family, has a primary focus on prevention, and facilitates a strong relationship between those who comes in contact with a child.

The Foundation's Board of Directors is keenly aware that to make a positive impact in all areas of children's health care in the state of Illinois will take significant resources - time and money.   Taking it one step at a time, the Foundation, through a process of research, listening, and planning, has focused its current grant making in two high needs areas in children's health:   Improving oral health of Illinois' children and addressing the mental health needs of children in Illinois.

In 2007, ILCHF announced a major initiative in its grantmaking efforts to more directly target oral health improvement.  $20 million will be focused over five years on efforts related to three overall strategies.

In 2009, ILCHF launched a multi year/multi million dollar initative to improve the children's mental health system of care, community by community, in Illinois. 

In addition, the Foundation continually monitors and funds innovative programs and emerging needs in the area of children's health care. The results of this work will be fundamental in the selection of the next area of focus for ILCHF's work.