The King’s Daughters Celebrates 125 Years

Members of The King’s Daughters celebrate their $3 million pledge in support of CHKD’s mental health initiative at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new 14-story pediatric mental health hospital and outpatient center (September 2019).

The King’s Daughters Mark 125 Years of Helping Children

In 1896, when the city of Norfolk was opening its first public schools and operating its first electric trolley cars, The King’s Daughters, a local women’s service organization, hired a nurse to care for the sick in Norfolk’s poorest neighborhoods. In her first year, she made 1,771 house calls on foot. In her second year, The King’s Daughters bought her a bicycle so she could cover more ground. Families who could not pay for her services received them for free, establishing the foundation of charitable care that would come to define The King’s Daughters and shape the future of healthcare for children in our region and beyond.

In those early days, The King’s Daughters made sure that children with contagious illnesses like typhoid, malaria, dysentery, and tuberculosis got the care they needed. Later, they encouraged and provided vaccinations to prevent these same illnesses. After operating a series of ever-larger clinics, they set in motion plans to build a full-service children’s hospital. The group raised nearly $1 million and broke ground on Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in 1959. The building was dedicated on April 23, 1961, and on May 5, staff admitted the first children to the new, 88-bed hospital. Over the next year, 90 employees helped care for over 3,395 children, 48 percent of which were from families who could not pay.

Since that time, CHKD has undergone major renovations and expansions and is now the heart of a comprehensive health system dedicated exclusively to children. The King’s Daughters have been instrumental drivers of that growth, raising needed funds, advocating for children’s health concerns, and volunteering in countless ways to bring comfort and care to our patients.

As The King’s Daughters celebrate their 125th year, the organization is more vibrant than ever with a staff that supports more than 1,100 volunteer Circle members organized into 44 adult Circles and eight junior Circles. The Circles host fundraisers throughout the year and also participate in major King’s Daughters projects such as RunWalk for the Kids, Breakfast with Santa, and Moonlight & Mistletoe. Circle volunteers also make hand-sewn stuffed bears for kids at CHKD going into surgery, along with many other handmade items for patient families.

“It is impossible to overstate the importance of The King’s Daughters to our community,” says Jim Dahling, president and CEO of CHKD. “Their founding premise, that every child deserves equal access to high-quality pediatric care, has benefitted generations of children and remains our guiding principle today. We are incredibly grateful for their strong historic partnership and will continue to rely on their wisdom, leadership, and advocacy efforts in the future.”