Today we’d like to introduce you to Corey & Kierra Childs.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Corey and I met in 2017 at the West Side Cubs Youth Organization in Detroit. He was a coach, and I was the president. When a child needed cleats, Corey would go to a local store, buy a pair, and give them to the child. I’d help cover registration fees or buy food for families who needed it. We’d both been giving back long before we met, and seeing how naturally we each showed up for the kids was part of what drew us to each other. We were married less than six months later.
One day, we saw some of the same children we knew from the Cubs at a gas station asking for money to feed their siblings. That stayed with us. We knew them from practices and games, and seeing what they were carrying outside of football made us think about what we could do together beyond the field.
In 2021, we founded Childs Play Foundation, Inc. The name is a play on our last name, Childs, which felt right for something we were building together. We started with what we already knew how to do: help families cover the cost of getting their kids into sports. As we got to know more families, we listened to what they needed and built relationships with people across Metro Detroit who could help us do more.
Today, Kierra Childs serves as Executive Director and Corey serves as President and COO. We went from buying cleats and covering registration fees ourselves to leading an organization that can stay connected to families as their children grow. I still think about those kids at the gas station. They’re part of why, when a family comes to us for help with one thing, we take the time to get to know them.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road. Corey and I started Childs Play Foundation because we saw what families needed and wanted to do something about it. As more families came to us, the work grew faster than the funding and staffing we had to support it. We’ve stretched budgets, leaned on volunteers, and called in favors to keep our programs free.
Some of the hardest lessons came from people we trusted. We’ve had people fail to pay us for services we’d already delivered. By then, our team had already put in the hours and done what we promised. Having to chase down money we’d earned took time and energy away from the families we were there to serve.
We also had a partner try to take over an event Corey and I helped build through Childs Play Foundation. They tried to pass it off as their own while also trying to blackball us and close doors to other opportunities. That was personal. We went into the partnership believing we could do more for the kids together, and we found ourselves having to defend the work our team had put into creating the event in the first place.
Other setbacks came down to what we could afford to deliver. With Summer Discovery, we reworked the budget and asked for more funding, but we still couldn’t cover meals, supplies, field trips, and fair pay for staff. Walking away was hard, especially knowing families were looking forward to camp. I was also still working full time, doing much of the grant writing, program planning, and problem-solving after my workday ended. Over time, that pace took a toll on our team.
Corey and I still believe in what a good partnership can do for our kids. We’ve learned to be clearer from the beginning about who’s responsible for what, how our work will be credited, and when payment is due. Those conversations matter because when we tell a family we’ll be there for them, we want to be able to keep our word.
All while trying to be parents that have children in multiple programs and events.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At Childs Play Foundation, we create free opportunities for young people across Metro Detroit to play sports, build academic skills, and take care of their mental health. Sometimes that means helping a child get onto a team they already want to join. Other times it means introducing them to something they’ve never tried, like debate, cheer, or playing quarterback. We’ve provided more than **$8,000 in direct assistance** for registration fees, travel, and camps across traditional and nontraditional sports. We’ve also built a network of more than **500 families**, which gives us the chance to get to know what young people and their parents need as they grow.
What sets us apart is how much thought we put into getting a child through the door. A program can be free and still be out of reach if a parent has to find a ride, buy equipment, or figure out breakfast before an early session. Depending on the program, we help with transportation, meals, and sports expenses. On **313 Day**, we open a drawing to young people outside our network, too. The winner receives $313 toward their sports expenses, paid directly to their organization. It’s one way we celebrate Detroit and help a family with a real cost.
One of my favorite examples of what we do is **I AM Quarterback Camp**. We partnered with Quarterback University to bring University of Michigan and Michigan State athletes together to teach Detroit-area youth the fundamentals of playing quarterback. Anyone who knows Michigan football knows how much that rivalry means. For our kids to see players from those two schools working side by side and investing in them was special. Hosting the camp at the University of Detroit Mercy gave the day another purpose. A child could come to learn how to play quarterback and leave having spent time on a college campus right here in Detroit, imagining what it might feel like to come back as a student.
The words **“I AM”** are intentional. We want kids to feel like they can call themselves a quarterback or a cheerleader while they’re still learning. They can belong on that field or mat from day one. At **I AM Cheer Camp**, we teach cheer fundamentals and give participants a chance to practice teamwork and leadership. We also make time for conversations about nutrition and mental wellness, because we want young athletes to understand how to take care of themselves as they train and compete.
With **Detroit Debate**, we give students in grades 5–12 a place to find their voice. They work with a trained debate coach to research a topic, write an argument, listen to a different point of view, and respond under pressure. We provide a free catered breakfast, and in our 10-week format, students spend nine weeks preparing before competing in week ten. We recognize students who place and give every participant a trophy. I love that there are so many ways for a young person to have a win in that room. For one student, it might be taking home first place. For another, it might be getting through an argument in front of an audience after spending the first few weeks barely wanting to speak.
**Tied Together**, our partnership with Caleb’s Kids, is one of the clearest examples of how we make mental wellness approachable. We give young men in grades 8–12 the chance to talk with licensed therapists and try different ways of handling stress. At **Jab’s Gym**, they can work through some of that tension through boxing. At **The Trap Yoga Studio**, they can slow down, breathe, and speak affirmations over their lives. Athletes like Romeo Okwara and Donovan Edwards have been part of the experience, too. What I love about the day is that a young man has several ways to engage. He might feel comfortable putting on boxing gloves before he feels comfortable talking about what’s weighing on him. We give him room for both.
Our partnerships also help us bring opportunities into the neighborhoods where families already spend time. We’ve hosted back-to-school events with StockX and University of Michigan football players Alex Orji and Ben Hall, as well as a separate event with Jameson Williams. We adopted **Forest Park** to help care for the space and bring activities, including the Pistons Neighbors Program, closer to the children who live nearby. And through our annual **Stocking Stuffer Drive** with Village to Village, we collect gifts for children across the community. This year, we’re turning the drive into a Christmas party for children who have been reunited with their families after time in foster care. They’ll have dinner, dance, and get to open their gifts together. We want the celebration itself to be part of what those families remember.
What I’m most proud of is what the Childs Play Foundation name has come to mean to families who know us. A parent might first reach out because their child needs help paying a registration fee. A few years later, they might come back because that same child wants to try debate or needs a place to talk about what they’re going through. I want readers to know that wherever a family first connects with us, there’s room for that relationship to grow right alongside their child.
Any big plans?
One of the things I’m most excited about is bringing more of our programming into schools. We received a grant to support **I AM PLAY**, our multi-sport after-school program. It gives young people a chance to try different sports and discover what they enjoy before their families have to commit to the cost of a league or a camp. We’re also exploring ways to bring **Detroit Debate** into more schools. I’d love for a student who’s curious about debate to be able to stay after school and try it in a place they already know.
The biggest change I’m working toward personally is being able to lead Childs Play Foundation full time. Right now, I run the foundation while working a full-time job. I’d love to spend more of my day with our team, in schools, and talking with families about what they need. To make that possible, we’re working toward funding that supports the people and day-to-day operations behind the programs. A grant can help us put on a great camp. It also takes people with time to answer a parent’s call, coordinate transportation, support our coaches, and follow up with families after the camp ends. That’s the part of the organization Corey and I want to strengthen as we grow.
I’d also love to see some of the young people who came through our programs return as mentors. Imagine a student who once needed encouragement to make their first argument at Detroit Debate coming back to coach a younger student through theirs. That’s one of the things I look forward to most. I want the kids growing up with Childs Play Foundation today to see a place for themselves in what we build next.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.childsplayfoundation.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childsplayfoundation
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechildsplayfoundation
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childs-play-foundation-inc
