Children First Foundation is a not-for-profit charity based in Melbourne. The Foundation’s mission is the transformation of the lives of those kids who require us the most by giving them exceptional care, hope and pathways to a future that is brighter. The Foundation got a very a proud history that has been built on the conviction that first-rate medical care remains a fundamental right of each kid irrespective of where their place of birth.
Children First Foundation gets no government funding and it depends on the bigheartedness of trusts, foundations, donors and corporations. With this kind of assistance from the supporters and the people, they are able to bring many kids from the developing nations to Australia for specialized surgery usually not obtainable in their home country. The Foundation is also supporting chronically ill or disabled kids in Australia through presenting the ‘gap’ funding needed for services and equipment for improving their life quality. The Children First Foundation got DGR status, and as such, all donations made that are above $2 are entirely tax deductible.
The History of the Foundation
Moira Kelly, a Melbourne woman is the motivation behind the founding of the Children First Foundation in 1999 when a group of like-minded personalities shared her vision of a world in which all children got access to the finest medical care whenever they required it.
Whilst carrying out volunteer work abroad in the early years of the1990s Moira saw firsthand a want for medical aid for kids injured during conflicts in war torn nations. She made an appeal to surgeons and hospitals in developed countries for help and was greatly pleased when Australian surgeons responded to her plea for assistance.
During the early years, a band of volunteers and supporters that was ever growing assisted in caring for the kids at properties in Melbourne that were donated as well as in Kilmore township, just an hour away from Melbourne. However, as additional children got referred for treatment, plans were initiated for establishing a Foundation having a formal set up.
Credit to the tireless work and commitment of the many, the plans finally came to be a reality in July 1999 with the formal founding of Children First Foundation. At the same time, Rotary International District 9790 came together to partner with Children First Foundation while Kilmore local Rotarian Noel Baker with his wife Janis gave a donation of 45 hectares of land towards erecting a home for the kids. The 100 square Rehabilitation Home reworked from an old donated house, now known as the Farm, was launched in November 2011 by the then Victoria Governor John Landy.
After almost 10 years of important global work, the Children First Foundation acknowledged that lots Australian families were facing substantial financial challenges in terms of caring for a disabled or sick child. Therefore in 2008, they started what is now known as the Between the Gaps initiatives for supporting the families of the chronically ill or disabled Australian kids needing of developmental and mobility aids.
As the Foundation is celebrating the numerous incredible transformations happening in the lives of the kids that have been assisted, they are aware of the many other children still waiting to receive their own individual and life-changing experiences.
Bearing this in mind, the Foundation continues nurturing the partnerships with valued program partners and sharing the vision with generous sponsors and donors. They are working towards the expansion of their network of representatives in the respective home nations of the kids who need them and developing relationships with the key medical institutions throughout Australia.
Although the Foundation is small, the commitment, energy and hearts of all those who are engaged are indeed very great.
The Foundation Programs
The Foundation’s 2 programs are supporting the conviction that first-rate medical care is an essential right of each kid irrespective of their place of birth. The programs are offering surgeries which are life-changing and the ‘gap’ funding for kids that may otherwise have not gotten the required medical care.
Miracle sMiles
Miracle sMiles is bringing kids from nations that are developing into Australia for life-saving or profoundly life-changing surgery not available in their home country.
Between the Gaps
Between the Gaps gives backing to families in Australia having chronically ill or disabled children through offering the ‘gap’ financial support for services and equipment which are only funded partially by other support agencies and the government.
Getting Involved
The Children First Foundation has a broad network of bighearted friends and devoid of their in-kind and financial support the work would not be not be possible.
The Children Foundation gets no government funding and it solely depends on the generous support of volunteers, donors and bequests.
Other ways of assisting include:
- Donating
- Fundraising
- Selling Merchandize
- Corporate Giving
- Workplace Giving
- School Activities
- Gifts Given in Celebration or in memory
- Events Sponsoring
- Leaving Bequests
- Volunteering
