Balenciaga and Kering Announce Multi-Year Partnership With National Children’s Alliance
The programme will focus on three particular areas regarding the well-being of children…
Balenciaga is ready to usher in a new chapter within its storied legacy. Yesterday the fashion house, along with the Kering Foundation, announced their new partnership with the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), one which is set to last for three years. The programme will focus on three particular areas regarding the well-being of children.
Mental Health
The partnership will support the National Children Alliance Mental Health Institute in order to help children who have been affected by trauma. The way they plan to achieve this is by assisting in making access to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Training (TF-CBT) easier and globally more available.
Education
Another part of the initiative will be providing education for Balenciaga in regard to child protection and informing them about which actions adults can take in order to help with the safety and overall well-being of children.
Raise Awareness
Global awareness on child abuse is not yet as high as it should be. Therefore, Balenciaga and Kering’s partnership with the NCA has made it a goal of high priority to change that and promote happy and healthy childhoods.
What is The National Children’s Alliance?
The National Children’s Alliance (NCA) is a US-based national association that since 1990 has been dedicated raise awareness and fight child abuse. In 2022 the organisation launched its Mental health Institute to facilitate children’s access to mental health treatment focused on trauma.
“There is a strong correlation between childhood trauma and negative health effects – from poor performance in school to increased risk of suicide to higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. This cycle can be interrupted and improved dramatically for children who receive evidence-based, trauma-focused mental health treatment. For them, it can mean the difference between life and death, which is why Balenciaga’s and the Kering Foundation’s support for this program is so urgently needed”, says Teresa Huizar, the Chief Executive Officer of NCA.
The brand’s support could help up to 55,000 children by receiving the mental health care that the NCA would be able to provide because of the three-year program.
“We were confronted with the reality and magnitude of childhood trauma during our listening tour where we engaged with several leading organizations and experts in the field of childhood trauma,” says Cédric Charbit, President and Chief Executive Officer of Balenciaga. “Collectively, at Balenciaga we have listened and learned a lot through this experience, and we wanted to help, have a positive and lasting impact on children and their future who needed support but lacked access. We are grateful to support the work of NCA.”
Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer at Kering, shares: “For fifteen years, the Kering Foundation has been dedicated to combating violence against women. During this time, we discovered another reality: the intersection between violence against women and violence against children.” The foundation started supporting children affected by abuse in 2019 and emphasizes how proud they are to partner up with the NCA and Balenciaga for this new program.
Lead Image Courtesy of Jason Lloyd-Evans