Children Impacted By A Parent’s Cancer Month (CIBPCM) was founded by Kesem in 2018 to raise awareness of the more than five million children, or one in 15, facing a parent or guardian’s cancer in the United States. The month is observed annually in January.
Kesem aspires to create a world where every child who has or has lost a parent to cancer is never alone. We support children through and beyond their parent’s cancer with free, fun-filled creative programs and a lasting community. We pay special attention to this community because while there are many avenues of support for people with cancer, their children do not often receive the same level of support to address their unique needs.
Research shows a cancer diagnosis has a significant impact on a household and highlights the need for a form of mental health support to help children cope with the drastic changes they face. Moreover, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology found that grieving children may show one or more of these signs:
We believe that when you help a child facing a parent’s cancer, you make a difference for the whole family.
Bring awareness to this population of over 5 million (one in 15 children) and their needs
Provide resources and information for families facing a parent’s cancer, advocates for those with cancer, educators, and healthcare providers
Engage and partner with corporations and organizations to expand our reach and impact in supporting more of these children nationwide
No child should have to face a parent’s cancer alone.
who are generously helping to build awareness and providing tools and resources for parents and guardians, care providers, and friends during Children Impacted by a Parent’s Cancer Month.
Cancer journeys are never easy. From the shock of diagnosis to the disruption and financial strains that come with medical care to learning how to accept help, cancer takes its toll on the mind, body, and spirit. All these things become exponentially more complex when a parent or caregiver is facing a cancer journey because there is no such thing as a break from parenting, not even during a medical crisis.
FIND TOOLS AND RESOURCES
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Grow your community
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ENCOURAGE IMPACTED FAMILIES
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DOWNLOAD KESEM’S FAMILY FUN KIT
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ADVOCATE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
We are all in the cancer community and bringing that hope, healing, health, positivity, love, and that sense of not being alone, wherever you are. If you are a caregiver like me or a cancer survivor. Yes, we are not alone.”
Kesem and our partner organizations are sharing resources to assist parents and guardians, professional providers, and family and friends in their support of families facing a parent’s cancer. These materials are available for download and can be shared digitally.
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Kesem and local Kesem chapters are hosting events and programs nationwide and online this month to support families facing a parent’s cancer. Peer-to-peer connection is at the heart of the work we do, and we invite you to explore these in-person community meet-ups and virtual gatherings for more opportunities for fun, meaningful connection, and community. Learn more and RSVP below.
Kesem Friends + Family Days are free events that bring together children and families, Kesem student leaders and alumni, and local supporters for a day of activities, fun, celebration, and community building.
Kesem Gatherings is a new program offering from Kesem, where children and youth come together in person to cultivate relationships and have fun with peers in their community who are also experiencing a parent’s cancer.
Our partners offer diverse virtual experiences for parents and guardians impacted by cancer. Learn more and register for their upcoming events below. Visit their websites for future programming information.
Bright Spot Network’s "Parents with Stage IV - Metastatic Cancer Virtual Support Group"
10:30am PT/1:30pm ET
Sign Up
Bright Spot Network’s "Partner Virtual Support Group"
10:30am PT/1:30pm ET
Sign Up
Bright Spot Network’s "Bereaved Partner Virtual Support Group"
10:30am PT/1:30pm ET
Sign Up
Bright Spot Network’s "Parents in Long-term Survivorship Virtual Support Group"
1:00pm PT/4:00pm ET
Sign-Up
Bright Spot Network’s "Parents in Active Treatment/Early Survivorship Virtual Support Group"
10:30am PT/1:30pm ET
Sign-Up
Bright Spot Network’s "Parents with Stage IV - Metastatic Cancer Virtual Support Group"
10:30am PT/1:30pm ET
Sign Up
Bright Spot Network’s "Healing Circle for Parents with Cancer" with Smith Center for the Healing Arts
10:30am PT/1:30pm ET
Email to sign up
Wonders & Worries’ WonderChats for Parents "The Grieving Child: How to Prepare Children Naturally for Loss and Death"
10:00am PT/1:00pm ET
Sign Up
At Kesem, we know there are measurable links between fun and mentalhealth and that people who laugh together create deeper personalconnections. The Family Fun Kit comprises various activities that children of all ages can do with their families and independently.
Download your free copy here.
Get your free digital copy of Do You Know Someone Who Has Cancer? by Jean Schoen. Jean’s three books were inspired by her own struggle to explain cancer to her children when her husband was diagnosed. The books are designed to help one succeed in talking and explaining cancer to a child in a way they will understand.
Download one of the books for free here.
We dream of a future where every healthcare provider, advocate, educator, and family impacted by a parent’s cancer knows about the many free and supportive resources for children facing a parent’s cancer. Share social media posts to help spread the word about our work and this special month of recognition.
Finding the right words to say to a family facing a parent’s cancer diagnosis can be hard. Flowers often say what words can’t. Throughout the month, let a family know you are thinking of them by sending a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Crayola Flowers. With every arrangement sent, Kesem will receive 10% of the proceeds to benefit our nationwide network of free programs and services. Make a purchase today.
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