Labatt family donates $40 million in support of integrated child and youth mental health care
The Labatt family has donated a transformative gift of $40 million to drive a groundbreaking approach making mental health care more accessible, equitable and effective for children and youth. The Labatt Family Thriving Minds Program unites expertise from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and The Garry Hurvitz Centre for Community Mental Health at SickKids (GH-CCMH).
Photo Caption: John Labatt, Arthur Labatt, SickKids President & CEO Dr. Ronald Cohn and Chief, Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative, Dr. Louise Gallagher.
Mental illness affects up to 20 per cent of Canadian youth, but only one in five receive the mental health services they need. Toronto youth report declining mental health, as demand for mental health services continue to rise and waitlists grow rapidly. The Labatt Family Thriving Minds Program, powered by this gift, accelerates access to outpatient mental health care so children and youth can receive the care they need when and where they need it, avoiding unnecessary hospital visits, joining long or multiple waitlists, or missing opportunities for early intervention.
"Few causes feel more pressing for young people than their mental health"
- Arthur Labatt
The Labatt family has long championed child health through philanthropy, with a legacy of impact that spans decades, institutions and countless causes. Their previous donations to SickKids total nearly $40 million, including a game-changing $25-million gift in 2007 to establish the Labatt Family Heart Centre, and $10 million to name the Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre.
The Labatt family became visionary donors to CAMH at a time when public support for mental health care was rare. Their pledges of $1 million and $4 million in 2005 were historic for the organization, displaying the family’s seminal support for a hugely stigmatized area of the health care system. With a named plaque at CAMH for over a decade now, the Labatt family’s generosity has acted as a visual reminder of the community’s support for CAMH clients and has inspired countless philanthropists to contribute to CAMH’s mission.
Behind the gift that will fuel the Labatt Family Thriving Minds Program are Arthur Labatt and his son, John, who say it is their honour to make this transformative contribution to child and youth mental health. The donation reflects Arthur’s enduring dedication to creating meaningful change and stands as a powerful testament to a life defined by impact and purpose.
“Few causes feel more pressing for young people than their mental health,” says Arthur Labatt. “It’s not an easy time to be young; the world they’re growing up in is more complicated than ever. Our hope is that our support for the Thriving Minds Program helps create a healthier, more supportive future; for their generation, and for those who follow.”
Jointly benefiting SickKids, CAMH and GH-CCMH, the donation will bolster Thriving Minds in several areas, including:
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Building a connected system of mental health care for children and youth, designed to deliver excellent and holistic mental health care
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Establishing co-ordinated access to ensure that children and youth access timely and appropriate care
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Supporting new treatment models that are shaped by the expertise of all three organizations and the lived experience of young people
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Enhancing the Thriving Minds Information Hub, which already consolidates information on more than 40 programs and services from across the three organizations into one central, credible resource for children, youth, caregivers and health-care professionals
“Thriving Minds is about what we can achieve collectively, and this landmark donation brings the vision of seamless, integrated mental health care for every child and youth in Toronto, closer to reality. Together we will live up to the name and shape a future that reflects the best of what we have to offer,” says Dr. Louise Gallagher, Chief, Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative, SickKids & CAMH and lead of the Labatt Family Thriving Minds Program.
“We are deeply grateful to the Labatt family for their extraordinary generosity and vision. Their commitment inspires us all and will have a lasting impact on countless lives. On behalf of SickKids Foundation and the children and families we serve, thank you for leading the way toward a brighter, healthier future.”
– Jennifer Bernard, President and CEO, SickKids Foundation
“Every day, families tell us how challenging it can be to find the right mental health support for the young people in their lives. This extraordinary gift will help change that. The Labatt Family Thriving Minds Program will create a clearer, more connected path to care — one that reflects the voices of youth and the diversity of their experiences. We’re deeply grateful for the Labatt family's leadership in building a better future for children and youth.”
-Anne-Marie Newton, President and CEO, CAMH Foundation
Additional quotes:
“This announcement marks a pivotal moment for children’s mental health care. Thanks to the Labatt family’s generosity, we can build innovative care models that help children and youth access the right supports at the right place and the right time. This gift can fuel meaningful change, not only at SickKids but across our partner organizations to create life-altering impact for young people.”
– Dr. Ronald Cohn, President and CEO, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
Timely and accessible care is a core tenet of our strategic plan, Connected CAMH. We know that the earlier kids and young people get care, the better their outcomes are for the rest of their lives. This gift allows our three organizations to come together and reimagine how youth mental health care is delivered across hospital and community settings. Working alongside SickKids and the Garry Hurvitz Centre for Community Mental Health, we will build shared pathways, shared standards and shared supports so that young people and their families get the help they need, when they need it most.”
– Sarah Downey, President and CEO, CAMH
At GH-CCMH we have a strategic imperative to build seamless pathways between hospital and community. For people with complex or severe mental health needs, collaboration, shared care and thoughtful referral between hospital and community systems of care is critical. Thriving minds is our opportunity with colleagues at CAMH and SickKids to achieve all three of these things. This generous gift from the Labatt Family offers a quantum leap to this work. It is transformative.”
– Neill Carson, Executive Director, The Garry Hurvitz Centre for Community Mental Health at SickKids
