(Photo courtesy of Deschutes Children’s Foundation)
Deschutes Children’s Foundation (DCF) has awarded $10,400 through its Every Kid Fund to six local nonprofits, helping remove the financial barriers that can keep children from participating in meaningful after-school experiences.
The second-quarter 2026 recipients are Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend, Camp Fire Central Oregon, Family Access Network, Cascade School of Music, Youth Choir of Central Oregon, and first-time recipient Treehouse Therapies.
The Every Kid Fund helps make sure a family’s ability to pay does not determine whether a child gets to participate. These awards can mean a child gets to discover a love of music, build confidence through recreation, find connection with peers, develop new skills, or simply have a safe and welcoming place to spend their time after school.
“We know that sometimes the cost of an activity is the only thing standing between a child and an opportunity that could make a real difference in their life,” said Cassi MacQueen, executive director of Deschutes Children’s Foundation. “The Every Kid Fund helps open that door. We are incredibly grateful to be able to help 41 local youth have experiences where they can learn, grow, discover what they love, and feel like they belong.”
For longtime Every Kid Fund partner Camp Fire Central Oregon, the funding helps extend financial assistance to as many as 20 young people each year.
“We are deeply grateful and proud to partner with Deschutes Children’s Foundation for over a decade,” shared Camp Fire Central Oregon. “The Every Kid Fund’s long-standing dedication to equity allows us to extend financial support to families in need, supporting up to 20 young people each year in accessing an opportunity to belong, learn, and grow through our after-school programs.”
One parent of a child supported through the Every Kid Fund described what that opportunity has meant for their family: “We want to thank you for creating a wonderful program where our child can have fun, feel safe, be creative, build friendships, and be a kid.”
This quarter also marks the first Every Kid Fund award for Treehouse Therapies, which received $1,000 in scholarship funding to help children and families access its after-school programs.
“This support will directly impact the children and families we serve at Treehouse Therapies, ensuring more young people across Central Oregon have access to meaningful, enriching after-school opportunities and programs without financial barriers,” shared Treehouse Therapies.
Together, these six organizations are helping create moments that can stay with a child long after an after-school program ends: finding a passion, making a friend, gaining confidence, trying something new, or discovering a place where they feel at home.
About the Every Kid Fund:
Deschutes Children’s Foundation created the Every Kid Fund to help remove financial barriers that prevent Central Oregon youth from participating in enriching after-school activities and programs. Through partnerships with local youth-serving organizations, the fund provides scholarship support so more children can access opportunities to learn, connect, build confidence and belong.
About Deschutes Children’s Foundation:
Since 1990, Deschutes Children’s Foundation provides collaborative spaces and support where nonprofits serving children and families can succeed. Through four campuses across Central Oregon, DCF partners with local organizations to strengthen their capacity, build community connections, and expand their impact.
