These Community organizations are delivering optimal healthcare and social services to sick children and their families in Santa Cruz County and the Central Coast.
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Coastal Kids Home Care
Children enrolled in Coastal Kids Home Care and its “Clinic on Wheels” programs have access to in-home long-term skilled nursing care, medications designed to ease pain and discomfort, and treatments intended to address their most acute symptoms. Eligible children also have access to massage therapy, which helps to further ease the physical toll of painful conditions brought on by the disease and the treatments trying to defeat it.
They also bring art and music therapies to address the intense feelings that living with a debilitating disease brings. Social services include care coordination, language assistance, one-on-one counseling and grief support. Coastal Kids is the only provider offering specialized in-home pediatric palliative care for children in Santa Cruz County. Website: www.coastalkidshomecare.org
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Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition
Transportation to and from medical appointments is a phenomenal need for low-income families whose sick child is under the care of a specialty hospital such as Stanford Children’s Hospital the University of San Francisco Medical Center, both many miles from home. Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition’s Partnership for Children transportation program and financial support services help families to access safe and reliable transportation to crucial medical appointments. Website: www.chpcc.org
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Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services
When a cancer diagnosis is confirmed, families can benefit from the myriad support services that Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services offer from resources that address the emotional, practical, and financial struggles, to comprehensive bereavement support for families who have lost a child to cancer or other disease. All services are provided by trained bilingual/bicultural Family Support Specialists and/or family counselors (MFT or MFTI). Services are offered to families of children and teens in treatment for cancer and transitioning off treatment, families experiencing anticipatory grief and those who are bereaved from their loss. Website: jacobsheart.org