Families First Online Resource List

Talking to Your Children about Cancer 

• American Cancer Society
  This site includes resources on how to help children when someone they know has cancer.
• Massachusetts General Cancer Center PACT program
  Parenting at a Challenging Time program based at Massachusetts General Hospital. The site contains many resources, including specific guidelines for parents as they work to understand how to best support their children and families as they navigate their own diagnosis of cancer.
• Wonders and Worries Resources
  This site includes podcasts, webinars and videos talking about cancer, general advice, and when treatment isn’t working.
• Yale Cancer Center Resources for Parents
  Resources that include tips for parents with advice based on the child’s development level, typical responses to a parent’s illness.

Camps for Children

• Camp Kesem
  National program that helps to support children through and beyond their parent's cancer with free, creative programs and a lasting community through their annual free summer camp, support groups for children, and other programs (Ages 6-18)
• Hospice Camps
  Check with your local hospice organization for bereavement camps to help children and families navigate the grieving process.

Groups for Teens

• Club Kesem
  Club Kesem is a free online cancer support group offering national virtual meet-ups each month, connection opportunities from coast to coast. Run by the national Kesem organization and staffed by alumni and student volunteers nationwide. It’s designed for children and youth ages 6-18.
• Inheritance of Hope
  Hope@Home: Join other teens (ages 13-18) and the Inheritance of Hope Teen Team as they hang out on Zoom together! Playing games, sharing stories and having fun! This is an opportunity for Inheritance of Hope teens to make some new friends and connect with other teens who are walking a similar journey.

Groups for Parents

• Bright Spot Network: Helping Families Through Cancer
  Provides free virtual support groups for parents in active treatment, parents with stage 4 cancer and parents post-treatment. Sign up on their website.
• Duke Health
  Parenting with Cancer meets on Zoom on the third Tuesday of every month from 7:30 to 8:30 pm. Free, registration is required on their website. Designed for individuals with cancer who are parents or guardians of young children and/ or teens.
• Parent Club presented by Kesem
  Conversations lead around parenting, offering tips and tricks for navigating parenting through cancer, and creating a community among parents navigating similar experiences. This takes place at the same time as the Club Kesem calls.

End of Life

• American Cancer Society
  Provides information on how to help children manage uncertainty, loss,
  and grief.
• Inheritance of Hope: Education and Information
  Provides support to young families facing the loss of a parent. The site includes resources such as intentional living and legacy work, practical advice, encouragement and more.
• Inheritance of Hope: Group for kids who have lost a parent
  Hope@Home is for kids who have lost a parent. Join for a time of remembrance of the loved one, name feelings surrounding loss, practice coping skills, and gain new friends
• Suncoast Kids Place
  An organization providing support to families, children and teens ages 3-18 years old who have experienced the death of a loved one. SKP offers educational and emotional grief support through support groups and bereavement camps.
• Hospice Camps
  Check with your local hospice organization for bereavement camps to help children and families navigate the grieving process.

Groups for Children

• Bright Spot Network
  Bright Circle: Ages 0-5. There are songs, movement, and stories to help them better express their emotions. It’s circle time, but BRIGHTER! Bright Circle will last 20-30 minutes.
  Bright Club: Ages 5-10. A monthly opportunity for kids to interact with other kids and families. Each month, there’s a different theme and activity. Reading books, creating through art, engaging in games, moving through mindfulness activities and welcoming special guests! Bright Club will last about 45 minutes.
• Club Kesem
  Club Kesem is a free online cancer support group offering national virtual meet-ups each month, connection opportunities from coast to coast. Run by the national Kesem organization and staffed by alumni and student volunteers nationwide. It’s designed for children and youth ages 6-18.
• Inheritance of Hope
  Hope@Home: Join other kids (ages 7-12) and the Inheritance of Hope Kids Team as they hang out on Zoom together! Playing games, sharing stories and having fun!
• Pickles 
  A non-profit organization offering free peer-to-peer support and resources for kids and teens impacted by their parent or guardian’s cancer.
• Coping, Connection & Courage
  A support group designed specifically for teens whose loved one has been diagnosed with cancer. The group will be facilitated by Destiny Sanders, LCSW, a licensed therapist offering a space for teens to express themselves, cope and connect in a group setting.

Additional

• Bright Spot Network: Bright Box
  Bright Box provides art projects for children aged 2-5 years and is designed specially with children of cancer patients in mind. All necessary materials are included
• Bright Spot Network: Bright Reads
  Bright Reads provides free age-appropriate books for preschool-age and early school-age children. These books are for children whose parents have cancer and range in topics from dealing with emotions, illness and grief and loss.
• Bright Spot Network: Teddy Bear Clinic at Home
  Virtual Teddy Bear clinics, often led by Child Life Specialists, help children explore their emotions through medical play.
• Living Beyond Breast Cancer
  Free children’s books for patient’s with breast cancer
  Free book program is aimed for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the last 6 months and have children between ages 4-17
• Pickles Family Cancer Support Kit
  Pickles Family Cancer Support Kit offers a booklet that helps parents and caregivers have open, age-appropriate conversations with children and teens about cancer.
• Sharsheret Support Kit for Families Facing Breast or Ovarian Cancer
  National organization supporting Jewish women and families of all backgrounds facing breast and ovarian cancer. Free caregiver informational kit and connection and guidance from their adult family members’ telephone line.
• Wonders and Worries: APP
  W&W2Go for parents provides strategies to help family communication and coping during a parent’s illness. The app is available on both Apple and Android platforms.
• Wonders and Worries: Podcast
  WonderCast is a podcast that provides support for parents navigating serious illness and injury. A seasoned child life specialist hosts the podcasts.