By McLean Hospital – Published January 28, 2026, mcleanhospital.org
The Yawkey Foundation has awarded a $2 million grant to McLean Hospital to support the development of the hospital’s new child and adolescent campus—an investment that will help create a more modern and welcoming environment for young people and their families. The new campus will reflect the latest thinking in therapeutic design, ensuring that care is offered in spaces that promote comfort, safety, and recovery.
Because Kids Don’t Come With Blueprints
For the Yawkey Foundation, this gift continues a long tradition of strengthening communities by helping children and families thrive. “The mental health of young people is one of the most pressing issues of our time,” said Alicia Verity, chief executive officer of the Yawkey Foundation.
“McLean’s vision for a modern, welcoming, and healing campus for children and adolescents aligns perfectly with the Yawkey Foundation’s mission to provide opportunity, dignity, and hope.”
That mission, and the compassion behind it, has deep roots. Though Jean and Tom Yawkey were best known for their seven decades of ownership of the Boston Red Sox, their greatest legacy is one of generosity and humanity.
Guided by their quiet sense of responsibility, the foundation has awarded more than $600 million to organizations providing opportunity and care to individuals and families in Massachusetts and South Carolina.
The trustees were inspired by McLean’s bold vision to reimagine care for children and adolescents through an integrated campus that unites treatment, education, and research. The new facilities will feature thoughtfully designed spaces that promote recovery and comfort while allowing for innovation in care and discovery.
“The Yawkey Foundation has long been a pillar of support for organizations that make a lasting difference in people’s lives,” said Carol Vallone, chair of McLean’s Board of Trustees. “Their generosity will help us create an environment that fosters healing for generations to come.
Where Hope Has Room To Grow
At a time when rates of anxiety, depression, and trauma among young people continue to rise, the foundation recognized the urgent need for accessible, effective, and compassionate mental health care.
Through their engagement with McLean, the Trustees gained a deeper understanding of how overwhelming the search for help can be for families, and how vital it is to remove barriers to treatment.
“Though Jean and Tom Yawkey had no children of their own, they cared profoundly about creating opportunity and providing resources for underserved and at-risk youth,” said Verity.
“At a moment when youth mental health is one of the defining challenges of our era, this investment carries forward that same compassion—fostering resilience and giving hope to the next generation.”
McLean’s new child and adolescent campus will stand as a national model for integrating clinical care, research, and family engagement—demonstrating what becomes possible when philanthropy and purpose come together for the well-being of children everywhere.