A $25 million gift to establish an early childhood education center at Lurie Children’s Hospital

CHICAGO — Lurie Children’s Hospital is set to hold a press conference Friday to announce the hospital will receive a $25 million donation.

Local philanthropists Kathleen and John Schreibery, whose wealth is linked primarily from real estate investment, will present the donations Friday at the 10 a.m. event. The gift will establish the Schreiber Family Center for Early Childhood Health and Wellness within the Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities.

The new center will focus on the development of children from birth to five years. According to the press release, this will be accomplished by “supporting programs that connect expectant parents with home visiting programs, doulas and care coordination. It includes initiatives that help new parents have access to quality health care, social services and tools to keep their children safe at home, in the car and while they sleep.”

The release said the additional programs will “focus on improving children’s resilience and social-emotional well-being, as well as improved early childhood workforce training. While many programs will benefit children throughout the Chicago area and beyond, the Schreiber Family Center will have a special focus on Chicago’s West Side. All programs will be based on community engagement and evaluation to develop an evidence-based framework that will allow for the dissemination of best practices across the country.”

The entire event will be streamed live as part of this story at approximately 10am