Youth + Family Resources
To help with questions you may have about communicating about cancer with the young people in your life, the Youth and Family Team has compiled suggestions and advice from experts in the fields of child life, mental health, and oncology. Providing open and honest information as early as possible will help your child or adolescent to feel safe and involved and will establish the trust he/she will need to deal with unavoidable stress now and in the future.Below are some helpful resources from our YFS staff:
| Title + Link | Additional Information |
|---|---|
| Kesem | Kesem supports children ages 6-18 through and beyond their parent's cancer with free, fun-filled, creative programs and a lasting community. Kesem serves children through year-round programming, including their flagship program, Camp Kesem, and new monthly virtual offering, Club Kesem. Club Kesem is a great way to immediately connect kids with other kids who understand what it's like to have a parent with cancer. |
| Guided Meditations for Children | From Annaka Harris |
| Mindfulness for Teens | Information, tools, and resources to help teens build a mindfulness practice |
| Teenage Cancer Trust: Support for Families | Information and support for families when a young person has cancer |
| Cancer Really Sucks | Support for teens by teens with music playlists, resources, a wall to post on and read encouraging thoughts |
| Riprap | Helps teens cope when a parent has cancer |
| Camp Kesem | In-person summer camps for kids impacted by a parent's cancer diagnosis |
| Super Sibs | Support and resources for children of all ages who have a sibling with cancer |
| Guided Meditation for Kids | A short meditation to help kids reduce anxiety and stress |
| Yoga for Teens | 20-minute yoga session from Yoga with Adriene |
| Yoga for Kids: Play in the Park | 30-minute vide from Yoga with Adriene |
| Someone in My Family Has Cancer | A video for kids and parents, appropriate for elementary school-age children and up |
| Kid to Kid: Your Parent Has Cancer | A 15-minute video that explains what cancer is and how it is treated |
| You're Not Alone | In this short video, teens share their stories of having a parent with cancer. |
| When Your Parent Has Cancer | A downloadable guide for teens |
| Brightspot Network | Support groups, financial grants, free age-appropriate kids books and web resources for families navigating a cancer impact. |
| Pickles Group | Free peer-to-peer support and resources for kids affected by their parent or guardian's cancer. |
| Marjorie E. Korff Parenting at a Challenging Time (PACT) Program | A program of Massachusetts General Hospital that provides information, resources, and consultation to help the parent with cancer and their partners support their children. |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | Support and information for parents and adults providing care to children when there is a cancer impact. This information is broken down into age-appropriate developmental stages. |
| Center for Grieving Children | Offers support virtually or in person in Portland or Sanford, Maine. “Tender Living Care” group for families impacted by serious illness, as well as grief support groups for children, teens and adult family members. 207-775-5216. |
| Wonders and Worries | Free, professional support for children and teenagers through a parent’s serious illness. Offers and app for parents with activities and resources. |
| https://familyreach.org/gethelp/ | Provides financial support and resources to families impacted by cancer. |
| Alex’s Lemonade Stand | Information with resources to help families navigate a childhood cancer impact. “Super Sibs” program for siblings of children with cancer. |
| 5 – 4 - 3 – 2 – 1 Grounding Method for anxiety | This video teaches you a grounding technique that can help calm anxious thoughts and be more present. |
