The Toy Foundation™ Opens Children’s Hospital Play Grants Application to Fund 2024 Play Projects
October 17, 2023 | The Toy Foundation™ (TTF) is inviting children’s hospitals nationwide to apply online for funding for 2024 play projects and activities that will help improve children’s care and wellbeing. Companies and individuals involved with a children’s hospital are encouraged to share this application for the hospital(s) to complete and submit.
An estimated 5 million children are admitted to hospitals annually, according to Hope for Henry, a national organization in pediatric patient experience innovation. A majority of children’s hospitals serve children with serious, chronic, and complex conditions, providing 95 percent of all pediatric cancer care and most of major surgeries, according to the Children’s Hospital Association. Incorporating play into a child’s treatment plan is a powerful tool to positively impact their wellbeing, improve cooperation, and create a better experience for everyone involved.
Hospitals are reliant on external funding or donations to provide play projects to their pediatric patients. To help fill this need, TTF launched the Children’s Hospital Play Grants program in 2021 and has since delivered the healing power of play to more than 360,000 children.
“Our children’s hospital grantees have shared that incorporating play to treatments creates joy, comfort, and offers additional benefits that help children heal and thrive. We’re grateful to conduct another round of funding to deliver play to more children’s hospitals,” said Pam Mastrota, executive director of The Toy Foundation.
Nineteen children’s hospitals received 2022/2023 play grants to incorporate sensory processing items into treatment rooms, host recreational activities accessible to all patients, and purchase inclusive play materials to normalize and create a safe patient experience, among other play projects. Read about the six-month progress here. An end-of-year impact report will be shared in the coming months.
TTF is looking for industry support for the Children’s Hospital Play Grants program via financial contributions and product donations. There are opportunities for companies of all sizes to join this program that delivers the extraordinary benefits of play to under-resourced children’s hospitals. To explore ways to get involved, contact TTF staff.