2026 Grantee Spotlight

The Lourie Center for Children’s Social and Emotional Wellness

Helping young children and families heal through early intervention, crisis care, and hope.

6,000

Families served annually through five core programs, research, & training

250

Families receive outpatient care annually through the Parent-Child Clinical Services

307

Low-income families supported through Early Head Start & Head Start

90%

of children served are Medicaid eligible

For 45 years, the Lourie Center has provided pivotal support to young children experiencing serious emotional, behavioral, and mental health challenges, along with the families who care for them. Through psychiatric care, therapy, crisis intervention, and family support, the Lourie Center provides early treatment that helps children heal, grow, and succeed at home, in school, and in their communities. Champions for Children funding supports emergency psychiatric evaluations, 24/7 crisis response, multidisciplinary treatment planning, and specialized suicide risk assessment training for clinicians—ensuring children and families receive timely, high-quality mental health care during times of crisis.

Key Services

Early childhood mental health Emergency psychiatric care Crisis intervention Family support Multidisciplinary treatment Suicide risk assessment

“I am so grateful for these last two years. My daughter is able to express her emotions in a clear and direct way, and she has a very advanced understanding of the different things that she needs to feel supported.”

— a Lourie Center Parent

Your Support Matters

Insurance reimbursement has not kept pace with the rising cost of providing behavioral health services, creating funding gaps that threaten access to care. Champions for Children helps ensure that no child or family is turned away during their most vulnerable moments because of financial barriers.

Champions for Children grants have directly supported 84 children and their families receiving emergency psychiatric and multidisciplinary care, specialized suicide risk assessment training for 20 clinicians, and 24/7 on-call child psychiatric coverage.

Your support places highly trained therapists and child psychiatrists alongside children and families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives, providing immediate intervention, strengthening families, and creating the foundation for healthier futures. Continued investment will help sustain and expand crisis services, strengthen the clinical workforce, and ensure more children receive life-changing care when every moment matters.

By intervening early, Champions for Children helps prevent the most devastating outcomes later. Your support strengthens our ability to identify risks, respond immediately, and change the trajectory of a child’s life.

Join us in creating a better future for our children at our Be a Champion for Children event.