Dear reader

What had long been a vision took on a life of its own this fiscal year. After years of intensive planning, financing, and construction, the new building was completed on October 28, 2025. By early 2026, “the Flamingo was ready for its first flight”: On January 6, we welcomed our first families. For Kinderhospiz Flamingo AG, the fiscal year from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, was thus marked entirely by a new beginning.

Since then, that vision has become a vibrant place. Children with life-limiting illnesses and their families find support, a sense of security, expert care, and, above all, space to live their lives: to laugh, play, rest, and share carefree moments together. Because, contrary to what many people assume, the focus in a children’s hospice is not on saying goodbye, but on life itself.

The launch required a great deal of flexibility, attention to detail, and mutual trust from the entire team. Processes were tested in day-to-day operations, refined, and consistently tailored to the needs of the families.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all families, staff members, volunteers, professional partners, government agencies, foundations, companies, donors, and supporters. Through their dedication, they have played a key role in turning a bold idea into a concrete program for affected families.

Even after these first few months, our task remains challenging: Operating and further developing our services requires reliable partnerships, sustainable financing solutions, and a consistently high level of fundraising. Together, we are committed to ensuring that families facing challenging life situations are not left on their own.

Juerg Herren

, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kinderhospiz Flamingo AG, October 2026

Review of the year in pictures

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The Flamingo Takes Off

From Construction to Operation

A key phase of the project came to an end in the fall of 2025 with the completion of the new building. In the weeks that followed, the focus was on the handover, furnishing, technical commissioning, the move, and preparing for operations. The building, processes, and furnishings had to work together to create a place that was both safe and comfortable. Families should feel welcome from the very first moment.

The First Few Weeks

The start of operations was marked by a careful transition. The initial sessions provided an opportunity to apply and further develop the prepared concepts in everyday life. The focus was on the individual needs of the children, their parents, and their siblings. Feedback and experiences were directly incorporated into the optimization of the processes.

An interprofessional team is growing closer together

Nursing, psychosocial care, housekeeping, administration, therapy, and partner organizations work closely together at Flamingo. In addition to professional excellence, a respectful attitude, reliable communication, and effective coordination are essential. Continuing education, case conferences, and shared reflection help ensure the high quality of our services.

The Flamingo is much more than just a building. It is a place that comes to life through the people who work there, their professionalism, and their attitude.

Live Flamingo

holistic | supporting | unique

Pediatric hospice care is designed for the entire family. Stays at the Flamingo provide tangible relief through professional support, allow for valuable time together, and enhance quality of life. The support provided is tailored to each family’s specific circumstances and is coordinated with the families and the relevant specialized agencies.

In addition to care and support, play, education, music, creative activities, quiet time, and social interaction are all part of a daily routine that is designed to be as normal as possible. Siblings are recognized for their own needs and are given space for interaction and shared experiences. This creates moments of lightheartedness that give families strength.

Bringing more life to each day: We create moments where the child and their family take center stage—not the illness.

Organization

Kinderhospiz Flamingo AG is the operating subsidiary of the Swiss Children’s Hospice Foundation. During the reporting year, the focus was on launching operations, establishing a clear division of roles, and further developing management, quality, and support processes. In May 2026, processes in nursing, psychosocial care, housekeeping, and administration/IT were comprehensively evaluated. As a result, the operational organizational structure and the structure of the management team were streamlined.

Usage

Since operations began, the services provided have been systematically recorded. The analyses support capacity and staffing planning and serve as the basis for negotiations with payers.
The capacity for the first few months of operation was designed to accommodate up to four guests (sick children diagnosed as needing palliative care) and their families at any given time.

The First Six Months of Operation in Numbers

Number of Guests by Age Group

Number of guests per canton of residence

Percentage of Hospitalizations by Clinical Condition

Monthly occupancy for 4 guest rooms

Nursing Care and Other Services

Every day, all services provided by all employees at Flamingo are documented. The data is intended to help us illustrate and document our work to the various payers.

Hours worked per area

Care Services by Category

Feedback from Families

“For the first time, I was able to sleep through the night—I haven’t been able to do that since our daughter was born.”

“We were so desperate, on the verge of burnout, and then this happened. It was a dream come true.”

“The Flamingo is a place we can go when things get tough. And where we can stay together as a family.”

Cooperation and Supply Network

Effective support can only be provided through a network. That is why we have strengthened our collaboration with specialized pediatric services, pediatric home care organizations, children’s hospitals, professionals, schools, psychosocial services, pastoral care, communities, and other partners. The goal remains to ensure a productive stay with as little additional administrative burden as possible for the families.

Throughout Switzerland, the interests of Kinderhospiz Flamingo AG have been represented since June 2026 by the Swiss Children’s Hospice Network in collaboration with the allani Children’s Hospice in Bern.

Partnerships

Flamingo is part of a growing network in specialized pediatric palliative care.
Collaboration with professional organizations, service providers, educational institutions,
volunteer organizations, government agencies, and funding partners enhances the quality and reach of our services.

↦ Learn more about our network

Cost Center

Dialogue with government agencies and payers also continued. The framework for cost-sharing established last year is being continuously supplemented with real-world performance data to ensure a solid foundation for negotiations. The fact that payers provide varying cost contributions depending on the service provider’s licensing status has led to a reassessment by the Board of Directors. In June 2026, a project was launched to continue the existing services under a license as a Spitex organization.

Communication and Awareness-Raising

As the facility transitioned to full operation, communication strategies also evolved. In addition to updates on construction and project progress, the focus shifted to insights into the first few weeks, support for families, partnerships, and the people behind the Flamingo. Newsletters, the website, media relations, and social media kept the public informed of these developments on an ongoing basis.

Media coverage of the launch and the opening celebration helped raise awareness of the program. At the same time, careful consideration of the families’ privacy remained a top priority. Personal stories are published only with explicit consent and in close consultation with the families.

Link to the press review.

Opening Celebration: Many Warm Encounters

On May 29 and 30, 2026, everyone came together to celebrate the opening of the Flamingo Children’s Hospice. The celebration provided an opportunity for people to meet, get a glimpse inside the facility, and engage in personal conversations. Supporters, professionals, partner organizations, neighbors, and interested members of the public were able to see how years of dedication had resulted in a tangible place for families. The response to the opening weekend—which drew more than 2,500 participants—demonstrated the broad support the project enjoys.

“Let’s fly”

With “Lass’ öis flüüge,” the Flamingo’s message found a musical voice. With music and lyrics by Carmen Lopes Sway and Marc Sway, a touching song was created about life, its ups and downs, and about bringing more life to each day. The song symbolizes lightness, closeness, and precious moments shared together. It helps raise awareness of children’s hospice care and conveys the Flamingo’s mission in an emotionally resonant way.

Fundraising

Ensuring the continued operation of the Flamingo remained a key priority. Even after its opening, the Flamingo continues to rely on donations. Contributions from private individuals, foundations, businesses, church congregations, and public partners make it possible to offer programs and services that are not covered—or not fully covered—by regular funding sources.

During the fiscal year, we strengthened our engagement with existing supporters and continued our efforts to recruit new partners. Transparent communication about our impact and a reliable dialogue form the foundation for long-term relationships. Since the Swiss Children’s Hospice Foundation operates in the fundraising market, we refer readers here to the foundation’s annual report.

Finances

The financial statements of Kinderhospiz Flamingo AG are prepared in accordance with the accounting standards for nonprofit organizations under Swiss GAAP FER 21.

↦ Flamingo Children’s Hospice, Inc. Financial Report 2025/2026

Thanks

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the children, teens, and families who place their trust in us. We would also like to thank all our staff and volunteers, who keep the Flamingo going with their expertise, compassion, and great dedication. They are the wind beneath the Flamingo’s wings.

We would like to thank the authorities, municipalities, specialized institutions, partner organizations, foundations, companies, church congregations, and all donors and supporters. Your support makes it possible to offer families a place of respite, security, and quality of life during challenging times.

Donors

We couldn’t do it without donations. We thank everyone for their tremendous support, which made it possible to establish the Flamingo Children’s Hospice. You inspire us and, at the same time, motivate us to work tirelessly for this important cause!

Challenges and Next Steps

The transition to regular operations brings new challenges. Learning from experience, designing reliable processes, attracting and retaining qualified professionals, securing funding, and at the same time allowing sufficient room for individualized support: these tasks will shape our future development.

Archive

You can view our last annual report here.