2023 marks the 40th Anniversary of The Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation. When it was established in 1983 by social worker Margaret Davies the main goal of the Foundation was sending children involved with the Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Aid Society to camp. Margaret believed that children in care needed more opportunities earlier on in their lives to be successful. She thought one of the first steps could be a week at a summer camp, where kids can “just be kids”. Summer camp can offer disadvantaged children much more than a vacation. Camp is also an opportunity to connect with new friends, to meet and build relationships with caring adults and counselors, and to discover the inner children they may have long forgotten or never had the opportunity to be.
Building on the original vision of sending kids to camp, the work of the Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation has expanded over the past 40 years to offer a range of other life-enriching programs.
Today, in addition to summer camp, we encourage children, youth and families involved with the Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Aid Society to achieve their full potential by providing support for a wide variety of life-enriching programs and experiences, including dance and music lessons, sports activities, support with baby safety items, bursaries for post-secondary education plus supports for youth transitioning to independent living. Our goal is to foster feelings of inclusion and belonging in children and build their self-confidence.
We rely solely on the generosity of our community, ranging from service clubs, private foundations, businesses, and individuals. Together we are able to provide these positive, life-enriching programs for the most vulnerable local youth in Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton and surrounding areas.
