Philanthropy Advances Regional Mental Health Care for Kids

Philanthropy is transforming how Children’s Colorado cares for kids with mental health care needs across the region—including rural and southern communities, along with other states — from renovated spaces in Colorado Springs to driving statewide policy change and expanding telehealth access. Together, these investments advance mental health care and ensure more children can access safe, specialized services and receive the right care, at the right time, closer to home.

Donors Invest in Mental Health Room Renovations for Colorado Springs

Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs is taking a transformative step forward in protecting the mental health of children, made possible through the extraordinary generosity of our donors. Thanks to $1.7 million in total investments by several philanthropic foundations, construction will soon to be underway on hospital rooms designed to give kids in a mental health crisis a more secure, more supportive environment for care. Children’s Colorado has seen a 40% rise in mental health-related emergency visits in recent years. By renovating four hospital rooms to meet these psych safer standards, we can open more beds in the Emergency Department, reduce the average length of stay and ensure that every child receives the right level of care when they need it most.   

A Decade of Telehealth Made Possible by Philanthropy

In 2014, an anonymous donor made a visionary investment to help launch Children’s Colorado’s telehealth program. In its first year, 500 patient visits were conducted virtually. No one could have predicted how vital this early groundwork would become when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020. Telehealth visits skyrocketed, growing from 5,200 in 2019 to over 128,000 visits in 2020. Thanks to those early donations, Children’s Colorado already had foundational infrastructure, expert staff and emerging technology in place, allowing teams to pivot rapidly and keep kids connected to essential care. A decade later, Children’s Colorado now provides more than 100,000 telehealth visits per year. This growth means that more families can access world-class care from home, reducing long travel times, missed work and school, and weather-related cancellations.

In southern Colorado, where Children’s Colorado serves many rural communities, expanded access has been especially impactful. In 2025 alone, families in the region completed more than 12,700 telehealth visits, including over 2,100 mental-health-specific appointments — a lifeline for many children who would otherwise face long waits or long drives for behavioral health support.

See how else philanthropy is advancing mental health care for kids and creating a better future for children.