The foundation's mission is dedicated to promoting children's healthy development and protecting them from abuse and neglect. Inspired by Doris Duke's special interest in the well-being of children and families, it aims to continue her legacy of supporting communities, early family planning efforts, and child welfare organizations. Guided by her will, the foundation focuses on the prevention of cruelty to children.
The Child Well-being Program's broad goals are to support the healthy development of children and to protect them from abuse and neglect through a variety of strategies. These include place-based approaches to improve well-being within communities, strengthening and coordinating service systems for families, and building capacity and sharing knowledge to advance more equitable outcomes for children and families. The program emphasizes intergenerational work, cultural relevance, and community engagement to foster long-term well-being. It focuses on improving local environments, coordinating health and social services, empowering residents, increasing social connectedness, strengthening social service systems, developing leaders, generating research, and advocating for community needs. The grantmaking areas encompass efforts that are culturally, geographically, and locally relevant, aiming to create improved and more equitable outcomes for children across different communities.