ILCHF and Partners Building Systems of Care

11 Dec ILCHF and Partners Building Systems of Care

The Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation (ILCHF), the only funder in Illinois focused on children’s health issues statewide, celebrates its 15th anniversary. To date, ILCHF has supported Illinois communities with over $75 Million dollars in grant funding:

• $31M in oral health, including creating over 70 access points
• $32M to support behavioral and mental health systems of care
• $11M to address other community-based health and wellness needs

Through funding dental health clinics, providing professional education, and creating partnerships, thousands of Illinois children now have access to oral healthcare who did not in the past. Additionally, through an advocacy grant to the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, ILCHF has convened grantees, leaders and educators in the oral health field to help craft smart policy initiatives that reduce barriers to care.

Regarding the success of ILCHF’s mental health work, many communities have not only changed their view of children’s mental health but now include mental health screening as part of the ‘back to school’ registration package. Additionally, children are being screened at an earlier age and provided the help needed to prevent small problems from becoming bigger issues in the future.

Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation (ILCHF) is the only statewide private foundation solely focused on improving the health of all children in the State of Illinois.

ILCHF was created in December 2002 through an action of then Attorney General Jim Ryan and an Illinois insurance carrier. This action and a settlement of approximately $125 million established the Foundation.