Franciscan Children's in Brighton, Massachusetts, has announced a $5 million gift from the Yawkey Foundation to help fund construction of a mental health center for children and youth.

To be built on the site of the former convent for the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, the 45,000-square-foot facility will include forty-two inpatient psychiatric beds, a mix of private and shared rooms, a gymnasium, classrooms with the latest technology, and programmatic support spaces. Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2022 and expected to be completed by the end of 2023. In recognition of the gift, the building will be named the Yawkey Center at Franciscan Children's.

"Right now, there is a widely recognized shortage of inpatient pediatric beds for children in psychiatric crisis, and that shortage has been further exacerbated by the increased mental health issues that are emerging as a result of the COVID pandemic," said Franciscan Children's CEO John D. Nash. "Our current inpatient and outpatient mental health facilities were constructed over sixty years ago and are outdated and inadequate for the needs of the diverse population of children and adolescents we serve. We are so grateful to the Yawkey Foundation for this generous donation that will help us to help children in need."

"Throughout their lives, and then through their charitable foundations, [Yawkey Foundation co-founders] Tom and Jean Yawkey provided significant support to numerous hospitals for over eighty years, as well as steadfast and generous support of programs in Boston, Massachusetts, and Georgetown, South Carolina, that address the needs of children with emotional and behavioral health issues," said Yawkey Foundation CEO Maureen H. Bleday. "Franciscan Children's is a place of hope and healing for children in psychiatric crisis, and this project is consistent with the charitable goals that guided the Yawkeys during their lifetimes and which the trustees of the foundation continue to honor in their memory."