Camp Quality: supporting kids of cancer sufferers

Photo: Getty Images

To coincide with World Cancer Day, Camp Quality has today announced that it will be the first national Australian charity to support children, aged 0 to 13, who have a parent living with cancer.

After calls from parents and health professionals for more education and support for the children of cancer sufferers, Camp Quality commissioned Sydney Children's Hospital and the University of NSW to conduct a worldwide review of the support that is currently available to these kids.

Every year, around 10,000 parents are told they have cancer, meaning that an average of 27 Australian kids each day will be affected by a parent's diagnosis.

The review found that these children urgently require age-appropriate information, a safe space to share and ‘normalise’ their feelings and that often children have misconceptions about cancer which can be more frightening than the reality.

Simon Rountree, Camp Quality’s chief executive, said: “This new program represents the largest expansion of services in Camp Quality’s 30 year history. We’ll support a group of children, aged 13 and under, which no other national charity currently helps. Our staff on the ground are repeatedly told of the need for targeted support programs to help kids in this age group – and we’re proud to be the first national organisation in Australia to do so.”

Camp Quality is currently developing its programs which will meet the needs of these children and will start by focusing on children aged 7 – 12 years old who have a parent living with cancer.

For more information on this fantastic new initiative visit the Camp Quality website.