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Children's Health Fund
Arturo Brito leads the Children's Health Fund, the mobile-clinic network founded by Paul Simon and Irwin Redlener in 1987 that delivered 479,000 visits in...
Children's Health Fund
Pediatrician Irwin Redlener and musician Paul Simon founded the Children's Health Fund in 1987 to deliver medical care to homeless children in New York, an act that created a blueprint for mobile health delivery across the US. The foundation now runs a national network of 25 partner programs that span more than 600 urban and rural clinic sites, from Los Angeles to Puerto Rico, treating children where they sleep, learn, and play. CHF deploys capital and partnerships across a mix of primary and preventive care, mental health services, oral health programs, and health education. Its flagship platform is the Healthy and Ready to Learn initiative, which embeds health resources into public schools in New York City and beyond, screening students for barriers tied to poverty and housing instability. The fund also shapes Medicaid policy through its advocacy arm; a policy brief issued in December 2025 warned that the post-pandemic Medicaid unwinding was unraveling coverage for the very children CHF serves (per CHF, December 2025). Under CEO Arturo Brito, who rejoined CHF in September 2021 after a decade of public-health leadership in New Jersey, the organization has deepened its policy apparatus and expanded its school-based health model. In February 2026 CHF launched the "Children's Health at a Crossroads" campaign to defend federal child-health funding. The internal team spans policy, technology, development, and evaluation, with dedicated staff managing electronic health record systems and a multi-site research portfolio that monitors health equity across the network's 479,195 annual visits (per CHF, 2026). The foundation's structural distinction lies in its delivery model: CHF does not run its own clinics, but instead arms a curated coalition of local health providers with mobile medical units, data infrastructure, and policy support. This hub-and-spoke design lets CHF act as a force-multiplier — standardizing care quality across 25 independent organizations while keeping its own headcount lean — an operational architecture more common to franchise systems than to traditional health foundations.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1987
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 630, New York, NY 10115, United States
Additional offices
215 West 125th Street, Suite 301, New York, NY 10027
Principals
Arturo Brito
President & CEO
Paul Simon
Co-Founder
Irwin Redlener
Co-Founder
Jane Pauley
Advisory Council Co-Chair
Garry Trudeau
Board Member
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at CHF?
CHF does not operate as an investment firm; it is a 501(c)(3) foundation. Its financial resources are managed under the governance of its executive leadership and board of directors, with Arturo Brito serving as President and CEO since September 2021. The organization does not publicly disclose its investment committee structure or asset-allocation strategy.
How does CHF fund its operations?
CHF relies on individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants. Its public fundraising channels include monthly giving programs, cause-marketing partnerships, and memorial donations. The foundation does not disclose a dedicated endowment detail or grant-making investment policy on its public site.
What is the relationship between CHF and its national network partners?
CHF operates a national network of 25 independent partner programs running more than 600 service sites. The foundation provides these partners with mobile medical units, electronic health record technology, data-sharing infrastructure, training, and advocacy support. Each partner remains a separate entity, but all follow a shared care-delivery model designed around reaching children in homeless shelters, schools, and other community settings.
Where does CHF operate geographically?
CHF’s national network spans urban and rural locations across the United States, including programs in New York, Florida, Los Angeles, and Puerto Rico. Its headquarters are at 475 Riverside Drive in New York City, with an additional administrative office on West 125th Street. The 25 partner programs collectively staff more than 600 sites.
Does CHF maintain philanthropic structures separate from its core operations?
CHF itself is a single nonprofit entity, the Children’s Health Fund, and does not list a separate affiliated foundation for grant-making. Its advocacy, direct service programs, and school-based health initiatives all operate under the same corporate umbrella, with the same board and leadership team.
What role did Paul Simon play in founding CHF?
Paul Simon co-founded the Children’s Health Fund with pediatrician Irwin Redlener in 1987, initially to bring medical care to homeless children in New York City. Simon remains closely associated with the organization’s identity and has helped it attract sustained public and celebrity support over nearly four decades.
How large is CHF's direct-service footprint?
CHF reported 479,195 healthcare visits across its national network in 2024 (per CHF‘s website). It coordinates care through 25 partner programs operating at more than 600 urban and rural sites, and has delivered millions of visits since its founding in 1987.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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