This #GivingTuesday, Help The Toy Foundation Bring Joy to Children in Need
November 22, 2021 | With the next Giving Tuesday slated for November 30, The Toy Foundation (TTF) is inviting the global play community to consider making their #GivingTuesday donation to its Play Grants Program, which provides funding for play-based resources in children’s hospitals.
TTF partnered with the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) in June to launch the Play Grants Program. To date, the program has donated nearly $375,000 in grant funding to 18 CHA member hospitals. More than 220 U.S. children’s hospitals within the CHA network are eligible to request funding through the program.
“These grants would not be possible without the generous support of our corporate and individual donors,” said Pamela Mastrota, executive director of TTF. “No matter the circumstances, every child needs play in their lives — both for their physical health and their mental health. This is especially true for children in medical settings, which can often be scary and isolating places for kids. From introducing more sensory-friendly play equipment into ER waiting rooms to providing calming toys to children undergoing behavioral treatments, these grants are providing the essential healing power of play to children across the U.S.”
This grant funding has also been used to enhance mobile-sensory playrooms for patients with autism, behavioral, and intellectual and developmental disabilities and to implement children’s medical play into the hospital setting to increase patient understanding, promote coping skills, and enhance the overall emotional preparedness for medical treatments.
Mastrota added: "The Toy Foundation hopes to help give hospital professionals (including child life professionals, play therapists, and pediatric healthcare providers) the extra tools and support they need to alleviate stressors and better care for kids everywhere."
To donate to the Grants for Play program, toy professionals can click the “Donate Now” button on The Toy Foundation’s website or contact TTF’s Elizabeth Max, director of strategic foundation partnerships & programs.