What Does HopeKids Do? How the Program Works for Families

When a child is diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition, the world doesn’t stop. Bills keep coming. Siblings still need to get to school. One parent may be living at the hospital while the other juggles work and holds everything together at home. The calendar that used to show birthdays, soccer games, and family vacations fills up with clinic appointments and hospital stays.

For a lot of families, that’s just life now. And for a long time, there isn’t much room for anything else.

That’s exactly the moment HopeKids steps in.

How HopeKids is Different from Other Children’s Charities

When people first hear about HopeKids, they sometimes think of us alongside other organizations that grant a single, once-in-a-lifetime wish to a child facing critical illness. And while those organizations do meaningful work, what HopeKids offers is something different.

HopeKids provides ongoing events, activities, and a powerful, unique support community for families who have a child with cancer or some other life-threatening medical condition. We surround these remarkable children and their families with the message that hope is a powerful medicine.

The key word is ongoing.

We don’t offer one big moment and then step away. We show up month after month, for as long as a family wants to be part of the HopeKids community. That means a family’s calendar doesn’t just have one bright spot on it — it has something to look forward to all year long.

Take Izamar, a HopeKids mom from Arizona whose son James battled leukemia for two years before finishing treatment in 2025. During that time, HopeKids walked alongside her family. Not with a single experience, but with a steady stream of events that gave her three kids something to focus on and get excited about. Medieval Times. Skateland. A Mother’s Day Brunch. A Christmas celebration with an ice slide. “Getting a chance to visit all these wonderful events are memories my family will always cherish,” she shared. “We have formed deep friendships with other families through HopeKids, and it’s been a great support during tough days.”

What does HopeKids do through events?

HopeKids event programming falls into three main categories.

HopeDay events are the big, high-energy outings: sporting events, concerts, theater shows, trips to the zoo or the circus, and museum visits. These are free for the entire family and designed to give everyone, not just the child who is sick, a chance to step away from the weight of treatment and simply have fun together.

HopeCommunity events are smaller, more intimate gatherings built around connection. Parent date nights, dads’ golf outings, moms’ book clubs, coffee chats, and private suites where families who share a diagnosis can meet and talk with others who truly understand. One of the most powerful things that happens at these events is when a family who just received a devastating diagnosis meets a family who has already walked that road — and is thriving. That kind of hope is hard to find anywhere else.

Virtual programming makes sure that families who can’t attend in person (whether because of treatment, a compromised immune system, or simply a difficult week) still have something to look forward to. From virtual cooking classes and magic shows to game nights and art projects, HopeKids families can participate from home, or even from a hospital bed.

Are HopeKids Events Free for Families?

Every event HopeKids offers is completely free of charge.

This matters more than it might seem. Families navigating a child’s life-threatening medical condition face financial pressures that go far beyond medical bills, including missed work, transportation costs, meals eaten on the go near a hospital, and the simple reality that planning and paying for anything extra just isn’t feasible. HopeKids removes that barrier entirely.

And it’s not just for the child who is sick. HopeKids intentionally serves the whole family, mom, dad, and siblings, because childhood illness affects everyone. Siblings, in particular, can be quietly overlooked when so much attention is directed toward their brother or sister’s care. At HopeKids, they are seen, included, and celebrated.

How HopeKids Builds Community for Families who Have a Child with a Life-threatening Medical Condition

There’s something that happens when a family walks into their first HopeKids event that’s difficult to describe until you’ve seen it. Kids who are bald, wearing a mask, or using a wheelchair don’t get stared at. They belong. Parents don’t have to explain their situation or brace themselves for uncomfortable questions. Everyone in the room already understands.

That sense of safety and acceptance isn’t accidental. HopeKids events are often held privately, protecting immunocompromised children from the health risks of large public crowds. And within the community, families look out for each other, knowing that coming down with something as minor as a cough means staying home to ensure others stay safe. That shared understanding creates something rare: a space where these families can relax and just be themselves.

How long can families stay in the HopeKids program?

One of the most meaningful things about HopeKids is that there’s no expiration date on belonging.

Whether a child reaches remission, turns 18, graduates, or starts a family of their own, they remain part of the HopeKids community. Many alumni come back — not just to attend events, but to offer encouragement to families who are just starting their journey. The message they bring is simple and powerful: We’ve been where you are. And there is still hope.

Is HopeKids right for your family?

HopeKids serves families who have a child with cancer or another life-threatening medical condition. The program is open to all families regardless of background, ethnicity, religion, or any other factor. There is no cost to participate. Today, HopeKids serves more than 6,300 families each year across eight chapters in Arizona, Minnesota, North Texas, Colorado, Kansas City, Middle Tennessee, North Carolina, and Central Florida, as well as through a virtual program that connects families across the country.

If you’re a family whose child has been diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition, and you’re wondering whether HopeKids is for you, the answer is almost certainly yes. Apply here to get started.

If you’re someone who wants to help make a difference for these families, learn how to give or get involved.