KEATONS CHILD CANCER ALLIANCE
2260 Douglas Blvd 140, Roseville, CA 95661 www.childcancer.org

---

Organizations Filed Purposes: To support children with cancer and their families by providing emotional, educational and financial support, while increasing awareness and funding research toward a cure.

At Keaton's Child Cancer Alliance, our mission is to provide children diagnosed with cancer and their families emotional, educational, and financial support while increasing awareness and fund research toward finding a cure. We offer these children critical wrap-around services by partnering with the five Northern California hospitals who specialize in pediatric oncology. Each year, more than 800 children and adolescents under the age of 20 are diagnosed with a form of childhood cancer in Northern California. The demand for Keatons family-centered supportive services continue to increase as local families are impacted by childhood cancer. Our goal is to reach every family with a child battling cancer, improve their quality of life, and embrace their will to survive. In 2019, Keatons focused on increasing peer-to-peer support options to local families, which we know makes a significant impact with the emotional toll that a cancer diagnosis often takes on a family. We offered 24 unique events including our first-ever Noche Latina (for Spanish-speaking families), Character Dinner, and Fall-themed events - Pumpkin Decorating Night and Trick-or-Treating Fun. These opportunities provided parents, patients, and siblings an opportunity to connect with others impacted by childhood cancer. Activity-based mutual aid groups have proven to be successful in engaging families while providing safe, comfortable peer-to-peer supportive environments. Ultimately, these events allowed for joy-filled experiences and special memories to be created for the entire family, allowing them to, at least temporarily, forget about the incredible burdens that navigating through a cancer diagnosis can bring. Family Navigator ProgramKeatons unique Family Navigator Program is committed to providing wrap-around supportive services to at least 150 newly diagnosed or newly relapsed families each year. In 2019, we provided direct financial assistance to 162 families [NOTE: 141 + 21 2nd financial grants- amounts vary]. In addition, a total of 308 vouchers were issued to assist with meals and/or transportation-related expenses. Notably, Keatons provided support to 1,376 total individuals (366 pediatric cancer patients + 1,010 family members) by providing them with an array of supportive services customized to their individual situations and needs. The most common services utilized have been helping them navigate the complex health system, accessing resources, assisting with transportation challenges, providing financial assistance (through grants or gift cards) and offering peer support opportunities. Using a community empowerment model, the Family Navigators secured local resources to assist families in prioritizing their concerns and work towards viable solutions. In addition, the Family Navigators provided emotional support to families and helped them access high-quality health care and social services. We continued to expand our alliance of Community Partners who provided families tangible services, such as automobile repair, groceries, and other basic needs. The need for reliable transportation to and from life saving treatments continues to be a service priority. The ultimate goal is to decrease the financial burden that is directly linked to a childhood cancer diagnosis so that families may focus on their childs treatment and overall well-being. Hope Chests: In 2019, we provided 141 Hope Chests customized family care packages. Hope Chests are available to families impacted by a childhood cancer diagnosis who reside in Northern California and are being treated at Kaiser Permanente/Roseville, Sutter Memorial Hospital, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, Kaiser Permanente/Oakland. The Hope Chest items included therapeutic resources such as a journal, art therapy materials, nutritional kit, and educational items plus a personalized snuggle blanket, sibling gifts, and comfort items. Items are selected for each child, sibling and family based on the preferences and needs established during the initial discovery. Bereavement Program: We provided compassionately handcrafted "Remembrance Boxes" filled with bereavement materials, assistance with burial expenses and resources to 15 families whose child lost his/her battle with cancer. The family receives remembrance notes of encouragement for their child's anniversary and birthdays, so they know that they are always part of Keatons family.Social/Therapeutic Program: All children and families served by Keatons are encouraged to participate in our social programs that bring families together and help them develop relationships with other families navigating the cancer journey. We hosted and partnered with organizations to provide 24 mutual aid support events including Moms Paint Nights, Play Date at Fairytale Town, Evening at Funderland, Beading Night, Teen Collaborative Night, Sami Circuit, Music Circus Show, Disney on Ice, Easter Egg Hunt, Pumpkin Decorating Event, Trick-or-Treating Event, Sea Quest, Character Dinner, and several In Sync Dance of Auburn dance performances. These events increase social connections among our families and provide a brief respite from the daily stressors involved with treatment. This has proven to be very successful and therapeutic for the children, adolescents, siblings, and parents/guardians in our program.Holiday Adopt-a-Family Program: With the overwhelming generosity of our community members, 36 childhood cancer families (a total of 172 family members) received wish list items and basic needs this past holiday season. We had several new partners request families in 2019. During these very difficult times, the selected families were able to focus their time and attention on their childs treatment, while very generous donors provided holiday gifts and basic needs for their children. The Adopt-a-Family Program has grown in popularity among our supporters and continues to make a deep and lasting impact in our family's lives.Annual Holiday Party: This past December, the Holly Jolly Celebration was attended by more than 250 children with cancer and their families. Twenty-three (23) Community Partners helped us create a winter wonderland complete with dinner, arts & crafts, family photos, and music, while Santa & Mrs. Claus gave out generous gifts from Del Campo High School students. This year, the CSO, Girl Scouts, and 8th grade students, were involved in providing the arts & crafts activities. Every child with cancer and their sibling left with a gift and enjoyed family fun where childhood cancer was not "invited!" Research Funding: Research is imperative to finding a cure for our kids. "Save a child, invest in a cure" remains critical aspect of our mission and our quest. In 2019, we continued to invest in local and national research projects that will improve patient outcomes and bring us one step closer to finding a cure. Our partnership with the St. Baldrick's Foundation allows us to raise critical research funds. This year, we hosted eight community events with over 598 head shaves raising over $526,000.00 in our local region! Several of our local researchers at UC Davis Health Comprehensive Cancer Center and UCSF Benioff Oaklands Childrens Hospital have benefitted from funding support as a direct result of our head shaving events.Student Training & Mentorship OpportunitiesIn an effort to maintain the quality of support provided to Keatons families, our internship program was able to expand in 2019 to accommodate additional students. In the spring, four social work students from California State University, Sacramento and San Bernardino, as well as Eastern New Mexico University were recruited and served as Family Navigator Interns. This was the first year that we had a MSW-level intern and therefore, were able to launch a new pilot program for one-on-one supportive counseling. In addition, two social work students from California State University, Sacramento completed field placement during a full-time summer intensive program. In the fall, three social work student interns from California State University, Sacramento completed their internship with Keatons. With our supervision and mentorship, these 9 total interns have allowed us to expand our reach, as well as provide customized support to program families. Also, several youths and schools volunteered their time with Keatons to implement donation drives, Eagle/Girl Scout Projects and community service projects. We continue to encourage youth to be involved in activities that directly impact the children we serve. In summary, Keatons Child Cancer Alliance continues to provide a network of compassionate support to children with cancer and their families. Our staff, interns, volunteers, and supporters serve as a vital resource for hope to those going through a fight no child or family should have to endure alone.

---

---

Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202023199349300602_public.xml