Emotional, social and psychological support from Tomorrows Children’s Fund

Coping with a life-threatening illness like cancer or a serious blood disorder is an overwhelming challenge for even the most courageous children and their loved ones. At Tomorrows Children’s Fund, we understand the enormous strain these diseases place on families and provide emotional, social and psychological support to relieve it.

Our therapeutic support groups were formed to give children and adolescents a chance to talk about their illness in a comfortable setting. Each family member has an opportunity to discuss the problems that affect their daily lives, and, with new friends, find solutions.
Our program offers a variety of outpatient groups for patients, parents, and siblings of all ages. Through groups, led by social workers and child life specialists, the entire family will learn more about cancer and the impact it has on each family member.

Child Life/Creative Arts Therapy Services

Our Child Life/Creative Arts Therapy team integrates multiple aspects of children’s creative expressions to help them better understand, communicate and cope with their illness. Encompassing child life services, dance/movement therapy, art therapy and music therapy, this program gives children a non-threatening way to express their thoughts and feelings from the time of diagnosis through the entire course of treatment.

Services include:

• Outpatient creative arts therapy groups—featuring art, music and dance therapy—for children and siblings of all ages.
• Gift certificates from local supermarket chain stores for families in need of grocery supplies.
• Donations of coats, jackets and other suitable items for children and family members without adequate winter clothing.
• Appropriately sized clothing for those undergoing weight changes while under medical care.
• Educational grants for patients enrolled in college or secondary education who maintain passing grades.

Social Work Services

Each newly diagnosed family is assigned a social worker to assess the family’s psychosocial needs and to work with the family throughout the child’s treatment. Social workers help families negotiate the practical everyday issues related to treatment. Social workers provide supportive counseling to families as they adjust to their child’s diagnosis and treatment. They link families to hospital and community resources. Social workers work primarily with the parents and extended family. In addition to individual counseling, social workers facilitate support groups. Some of these support groups include parents of preschool age children on treatment, parents of patients with sickle cell anemia, and bereaved parents. Social workers are involved in improving the quality of life of our families while their children are on treatment. Some examples of this type of programming include the remodeling of our parent respite and resource room, beauty days for our mothers, and holiday events on our inpatient unit.

Psychological Services

Sometimes families facing cancer and serious blood disorders require support that goes beyond that offered by our Child Life/Creative Arts team and Social Work Team. To meet this need, psychological services are needed.