We continued our strong partnership with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), providing an additional $20,000 in direct funding supporting therapeutic play in 2023 for total contributions of $40,000. We also delivered another 1,000 therapeutic play kits which were so well received, we’ll be adding deliveries to CHOP’s Specialty Care Center in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, in 2024!
In June 2023, we began our partnership with Children’s National, providing $20,000 in direct funding to Child Life in support of therapeutic play activities, and delivering 450 play kits. The kits have been “flying off the shelves”!
To close out the year, we are thrilled to have formed a new partnership with iNova L. J. Murphy Children’s Hospital, which we believe will bring great things to come in this new year. This included a donation of $10,000 to support therapeutic play with their first play-kit delivery set for January 2024.
The Impact of Direct Funding to Hospital Partners
Overall, SFS provided $50K in direct funding in 2023 to our three hospital partners to help further our mission and support child life.
Our hospital partners’ child life programs utilized SFS funding in a variety of ways, including: Diamond art paintings (a HUGE favorite of adolescent girls), Hand2mind calming animals, Spot of Emotion books and toys, “Get to know you” DIY Jenga, Worry monsters (loved by Child Life Specialist teams but rarely in stock), medical play supplies and so much more.
In December, SFS funds also supported a PICU resin pendant workshop allowing families to create keepsakes to help with separation.
What Hospital Partners Are Saying
"Because of your support, we are able to keep these items in stock, giving our team the materials they need to provide their patient with effective (and fun!) therapeutic activities." ~ Manager of Child Life Services, Children’s National
"The funds allow our team to be creative in their interventions and buy the things that insurance doesn’t cover to truly improve the experience of patients and families at the hospital."~ Child Life Manager, CHOP