All kids deserve kind, safe, welcoming places to grow.

Washburn Center Receives Historical $3M Gift as mental health demands soar

Anonymous donor delivers monumental sign of hope for children and families
who are living through our nation’s worst mental health crisis. —

Washburn Center for Children, one of Minnesota’s leading children’s mental health providers, today celebrates the generosity of an anonymous donor who will make a lasting impact on future generations.

“This gift is a sign of hope for children in our community,” says Craig Warren, acting Chief Executive Officer for Washburn Center for Children. “As we navigate the impacts of the pandemic, the mental health crisis has deepened and is compounded by the financial hardship more families are experiencing. This gift will help ensure that we reduce barriers to care like economic stressors and ensure that we recruit, and invest in clinical staff to serve more families.”

Washburn Center leads in child-centered care with the broadest and deepest spectrum of outpatient children’s mental health services in the state. More than 140 therapists serve nearly 4,000 children and their families in homes, schools, clinics and community settings helping translate skills and healing to the environment where they live, learn and are in relationships.

“The scale of this generosity will strengthen how we ensure kids and families get quick, simple, affordable access to care,” Warren shares. Inflation has increased the cost of providing services and strained the financial stability of the families served by the non-profit.

“Every day, we witness how resilient children and teens are in healing from trauma,” he adds. “We are grateful the impact of healing is amplified by supporters who know we are creating life-changing outcomes for families and children.”