Wonders & Worries
 | |
| Founded | August 8, 2001 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Meredith Cooper, MS, CCLS, LPC and Melissa Hicks, MS, CCLS, LPC, RPT |
| Focus | To help children and their families cope when a parent or caregiver has a chronic or life-threatening illness |
| Location |
|
Area served | Greater Austin |
| Website | http://www.wondersandworries.org/ |
Wonders & Worries is a non-profit organization (501(c)(3)) based in Austin, TX that provides support to children when a parent or family member has a chronic or life-threatening illness such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Lou Gehrig's Disease, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or Alzheimer's.[1][2] Services are provided without charge in English or Spanish by a Certified Child Life Specialist to families in Central Texas.[3] Pilot programs have been implemented in Raleigh, North Carolina[4] and Ottawa, Canada.[5]
History
Wonders & Worries was launched with the support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF), which provided funding in spring 2001 to conduct a pilot support group for children who had a parent with cancer.[6] LAF provided an additional grant in fall 2001 to expand services to include a school-age support group, an adolescent support group, individual counseling for children who have a parent with cancer, and quarterly social functions to reunite Wonders & Worries clients.[7]
Services
Individual Sessions: for children aged 2–18yrs
Group Sessions: helping children aged 5+ meet other children coping with similar experiences
Child / Parent Relationship Training Classes: teaching parents how to reconnect with their children during an illness or following a loss
Informal Support / Recreational Group Activities – allowing families to enjoy being together in a fun, relaxing environment
Bereavement Support Sessions – helping families prepare for the end of life and gain skills that will help them cope with the loss [8]
See also
- Child Life Specialist
- Childhood bereavement
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
External links
- American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/
- Cancer Connection: http://www.cancer-connection.org/
- Child Life Specialist Career Overview: http://www.mayo.edu/mshs/childlife-career.html
- Hospice Austin: http://www.hospiceaustin.org/
- I Live Here, I Give Here: http://www.ilivehereigivehere.org/non_profits/wonders-and-worries
- Livestrong Foundation: http://www.livestrong.org/site/c.khLXK1PxHmF/b.2660611/k.BCED/Home.htm
- Texas Oncology - South Austin Cancer Center: http://www.texasoncology.com/
- Volunteer Match: http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/org56291.jsp
- YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjE_B2quBds
References
- ↑ "Wonders & Worries: A family's illness. A child's journey.". Hospice of Wake County. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ↑ "General Cancer Resources". Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ↑ Taylor, Lyndsey (February 28, 2013). "Kids with seriously ill parents find support". Community Impact Newspaper. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ↑ "Hosopice of Wake County creates children's counseling program". Wake Living Published Quarterly. November 23, 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ↑ "It's Personal-Cancer Foundation News". Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ↑ Balletta, Nick. "Balletta: After All the Lies Can Lance Armstrong 'EmergeStrong?".
- ↑ "Livestrong Milestones". Livestrong Foundation.
- ↑ "Wonders & Worries Services".