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ABSTRACT
Support is available for cancer patients and their partners, but few programs are available to help children cope with a parent's or another family member's cancer. The “For KJds Only” program was developed to provide children with a safe environment in which they can share their thoughts and feelings and ask questions. The children are given age-appropriate information, and they learn new skills to help them cope more effectively throughout the cancer experience. This article reviews the literature on the children of cancer patients, outlines several existing programs for children, and describes factors to consider when developing such a program.
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Notes on contributors
Lisa Hartkopf Smith
Ms. Smith is an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist, Grant/Riverside Methodist Hospitals. An earlier version of the article was delivered during “Supportive Care ′95,” the 14th annual conference on psychosocial oncology sponsored by The Don and Sybil Harrington Cancer Center, Amarillo, TX, April 1995. The authors wish to thank their colleague, Gayle Root, RN, LISW, for her ongoing support and leadership in the program.