Envisioning a Healthier Future for Haiti.

ICC Story Began

International Child Care's story began when an American couple, Jim and Virginia Snavley, visited Haiti during a stop on their cruise.

They returned to Haiti with their family, and in 1965 the Child Care Foundation (CCF) was formed.

Grace Children's Hospital, dedicated to the care of tubercular children, was officially opened in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Canadian involvement grew through the auspices of Caribbean Child Care (CCC). A Haitian advisory board was formed and a year later, the inpatient capacity of the Hospital expanded from 37 to 200 and the 1,000th patient was admitted.

ICC, together with the Haitian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, began a national robust tuberculosis control program - the "Crusade Against Tuberculosis" (CAT). CAT included a mass vaccination campaign, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis at existing clinics throughout the country and disease specific training of community health workers. The Outpatient Program opened at Grace Children's Hospital treating 3,000+ patients per month.

Child Care Foundation and Caribbean Child Care merged to form International Child Care.

The Crusade Against Tuberculosis (CAT) expanded beyond BCG immunization to include the Case Finding, Treatment and Education (CFTE), a program which eventually targeted over 100 partner clinics throughout the country to find and treat active cases of TB.

By 1981, International Child Care had developed a reputation for solid expertise in the arena of TB control in Haiti. At that time, ICC had completed a mass immunization campaign, systematically vaccinating over 3 million people throughout the entire nation of Haiti. Grace Children's Hospital opened an Adult Outpatient Service and a Statistics, Evaluation and Research unit.

Grace Children’s Hospital opened a family planning program.

Grace Children’s Hospital opened a nutrition clinic.

As International Child Care marked its 20th anniversary, TB remained a central focus, but within the context of a growing commitment to community-based primary health care.

In Haiti, International Child Care is contracted by the Ministry of Health as its principal partner in the national TB program.

Despite the political crisis of 1991-1994 and the application of internationally imposed economic sanctions, ICC continued to successfully evolve its integrated health models. By the early 1990s, maternal/child health had emerged as an equally important program direction.

With the increasing global crisis of HIV/AIDS, International Child Care instituted a voluntary counseling and testing program at Grace Children´s Hospital in 1994.

For the first time since ICC's inception, ICC/Haiti was devoted entirely to national, Haitian leadership.

A major advancement in the care of HIV+ patients came in early 2005, when ICC inaugurated anti-retroviral medical treatment for children and adults with HIV/AIDS.

On January 12, 2010 an earthquake struck Haiti and left many people injured and homeless. The building of Grace Children's Hospital was destroyed, but knowing the great, desperate need, its staff continued to see patients in a tent community.

With funding from ASHA/USAID, a second floor was built onto Grace Children's Hospital for new offices for ICC Haiti and for an education and training center and conference room.

ICC USA completes restructuring after moving its office to Ann Arbor, MI in 2017. Restructuring ensures the organization can better serve Grace Children's Hospital.

International Child Care rebrands as Grace Children's Hospital, officially, to better reflect the scope of the organization's efforts.