The Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation (ILCHF) has a single mission: to ensure that 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 allocates most of its dollars toward three specific areas:
Improving oral health of Illinois' children
Addressing the mental health needs of children
Increasing the incidence of developmental screening in young children
In 2007, ILCHF announced a major initiative in its grantmaking efforts to more directly target oral health improvement. At least $20 million will be focused over five years on efforts related to three overall strategies:
1. Build the capacity of Illinois' safety-net system to deliver high-quality oral health services; 2. Increase the number of oral health professionals caring for underserved children; and, 3. Create a greater awareness of the role oral health plays in the overall health of a child.
In addition, the Foundation monitors emerging and other compelling health issues that the Board of Directors may select as focus areas in the future.
News
Foundation News/Updates
- NEW PRESIDENT NAMED. Tammy Lemke has been appointed President of the Foundation, effective November 20, 2008. Click here for the press release. (October 08)
- MORE THAN $3 MILLION IN GRANTS AWARDED. Eighteen organizations providing oral health care to underserved children across the state have been awarded funding to establish or expand services. Click here for the press release. (October 08)
- FIRST MAJOR INITIATIVE ANNOUNCED. Over the next five years, ILCHF will redirect its funding to focus more on oral health improvement. At least $20 million will be spent over that time. Click here for the press release. (June 07)
News/Updates on Children's Health
- Illinois Kids Count 2008 - The State of Children's Health. Voices for Illinois Children has released its annual report on the well-being of Illinois children with a focus on their health. This is the organization's 15th annual statewide and county-by-county assessment of conditions facing Illinois children. Click here to review and download the report.
-Better Integration of Oral and Mental Health Services into Primary Care. Grantmakers in Health convened a group of grantmakers and health services researchrs in 2007 for an informative discussion about improving the children's health care system by better integrating oral and mental health services into primary care. An Issue Brief was produced that synthesizes key points from the discussion. Funding for the meeting was provided in part by Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation. Read the Issue Brief
-Enhancing Developmentally Oriented Primary Care moves forward. This collaboration works to develop a range of strategies that primary care settings can implement to most effectively provide comprehensive, developmentally-oriented health care to children. This three-year program, funded in part by ILCHF, conducts training for both primary care staff as well as parents about the developmental needs of children. Visit the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics web site for more information.
For questions about this site or its contents, please email us at info@ilchf.org or call 630/655-2873.