The Children’s Foundation

History
The Children's Foundation began as a result of the sale of the Crippled Children's Hospital in 1982. The Crippled Children's Home was founded in 1917 by twenty-four women of the King's Daughters of the Calvary Episcopal Church to serve children in the Mid-South who needed medical help with such diseases as spina bifida and poliomyelitis. By the 1970s, the hospital had few patients, so the facility at 3009 Lamar Avenue was sold to Methodist Health Systems. The Board of Trustees of the hospital remained to govern the Foundation and today is comprised of 35 women, many with ties to the original Crippled Children's Hospital.

Mission
The purpose of the Children's Foundation is to promote the health and well-being of children in the Memphis area. Since our grant making started in 1982 the primary focus has been for projects that improve the physical health of children. We have supported both direct services and research. Since 1993, the foundation has provided significant support for the Children’s Foundation Research Center at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center. Later, a significant multi-year grant was approved to create a Pediatric Eye Center in the University of Tennessee Eye Institute.