The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in Rancho Mirage, California, has announced a $10 million gift from the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation to help establish the National Center for Families and Children. 

The largest philanthropic gift in the organization’s history will provide the initial funding to establish a center focused on supporting families and children whose loved ones are seeking treatment for substance use disorders. When established, the center will be the banner under which Hazelden Betty Ford launches a coordinated effort to innovate and expand family and children’s services, conduct research, and ultimately advance a new standard of care in behavioral health focused on helping family members heal and be a positive force in their loved one’s recovery.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 40 million Americans experience substance use disorders annually, which means tens of millions of children, spouses, partners, parents, and siblings experience the negative effects of a loved one’s addiction, including emotional and mental distress, trauma, and sometimes financial and legal challenges as well. 

“When my mother was in the grip of her addiction, our entire family was affected, and when she found recovery, we needed to heal together,” said Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation trustee Susan Ford Bales, daughter of former first lady Betty Ford. “My mother believed strongly that every family and child affected by addiction deserves access to professional services. Her legacy lives on in the trailblazing spirit of the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation and its CEO, Abby Moffat. I am so grateful for their commitment to breaking stigma and investment in helping heal families like ours.”