Marriott Foundation invests $4 million in Children’s National mental healthcare

The gift from The J. Willard and Alise S. Marriot Foundation increases access to mental healthcare through Children’s National primary care locations and Pediatric Health Network practices, ensuring more families receive the support they need

Washington, DC, Oct. 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new $4 million gift from The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation will expand equitable, timely access to high-quality mental healthcare for children and adolescents across the region.

With this investment, Children’s National experts are redesigning how psychiatric expertise and behavioral health programs fit within the care continuum for kids.

“Every child in our community deserves expert care that prioritizes their entire well-being,” says Beth Wells, MD, MHS, chief clinical officer and physician-in-chief at Children’s National. “Thanks to The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, we can fill more of the gaps and better integrate mental health services where kids already receive pediatric care.”

This gift builds on our existing partnerships with pediatric primary care practices in the D.C. metropolitan area through the Pediatric Health Network. By providing education, consultation and collaboration, we help physicians support their patients’ behavioral health.

This gift also embeds child and adolescent psychiatry fellows within primary care locations, enabling quicker access to treatment through a more holistic care model. This support increases the capacity of pediatric primary care providers through training and education, which will close critical gaps for children who would otherwise lack mental health support.

Philanthropic support for mental health initiatives has already shown remarkable impact. A previous gift from The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation to Children’s National funded an additional psychiatric nurse practitioner and two psychiatry fellows, reducing the wait time for a new psychiatry visit by as much as six months. Through the Pediatric Health Network Behavioral Health Initiative, Pediatric Health Network practices made significant strides in integrating behavioral health into their work and gained access to specialized supports like psychiatry evaluations for their patients and training on how to manage behavioral health concerns in primary care.  

“The Marriott Foundation’s investment demonstrates our deep commitment to ensuring all children receive the mental health support they need and deserve,” says Mieka F. Wick, CEO of The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation. “Together, we can support children with more complex needs and ensure more children receive timely, appropriate care earlier.”

This gift will increase access to care within the five Children’s National primary care locations in Washington, D.C., 11 Children’s National Pediatricians & Associates locations and 78 primary care practices. Together, these practices serve an estimated 670,000 patients across the region.

Media contact: Beth Riggs | briggs@childrensnational.org | 202-476-4500

About Children’s National

For 155 years, Children’s National in Washington, D.C., has delivered expert pediatric care at every milestone. As the region’s only standalone children’s hospital, kids have been the center of its mission since 1870. Today, it is one of the top 10 children’s hospitals in the nation and ranked in all specialties evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. Children’s National is transforming pediatric medicine for all children. 

The Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus opened in 2021, a first-of-its-kind pediatric hub dedicated to developing new and better ways to care for kids. Children’s National has been designated four times in a row as a Magnet^® hospital, demonstrating the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty care locations in the D.C. metropolitan area, including Maryland and Virginia. Children’s National is home to the Children’s National Research Institute and Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation. It is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. 

In 1987, Children’s National founded Safe Kids Worldwide, a non-profit dedicated to reducing unintentional injuries among children through comprehensive national and global education, research and advocacy. As a non-profit, Children's National relies on generous donors to help ensure that every child receives the care they need.

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Beth Riggs
Children's National Hospital
2024764500
briggs@childrensnational.org