KidsCAN! is a unique program that provides education, emotional support, peer empathy, and inspiration for children with a parent with cancer.

During monthly group meetings at local hospitals, facilitators help kids understand the disease and treatments. They also provide emotional support through activities, arts and crafts, group discussions, and music and puppetry.

The programs, geared for children aged six to 16, are led by professionals within the field of oncology – all of whom have experience working with cancer patients and their families.

Program Sites

Children of any cancer patient are eligible for the KidsCan! program, regardless of where the patient receives cancer treatment. It is free of charge. The KidsCan! program is available at the following locations:

• UNC REX Cancer Center, Rex Healthcare, Raleigh, NC
• Duke Cancer Institute, Duke Hospital, Durham, NC
• Cone Health Cancer Center at Alamance Regional, Alamance Regional Medical Center, Burlington, NC and Wesley Long Hospital, Greensboro, NC
• Siteman Cancer Center, Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital, St. Louis, MO

KidsCAN! Scholarship Program

In 2018 we launched the KidsCAN! alumni scholarship program. This scholarship is available to any alumni of any of our KidsCAN! sites who is pursuing secondary education at a community college, trade school, vocational program, college or university and demonstrates a financial need.

Applications for our 2023 Scholarship are now open and can be found here.

Memory Making Events

The Holt Brothers have tickets to NC State football and basketball games which are donated to children who participate in the KidsCAN! programs in North Carolina. Other opportunities for memory making in 2021 included a KidsCAN! family day at the NC Courage game in Cary, NC.

“We try to give the kids and their families a social outlet, a way to forget about hospitals and medicine,” says Terrence. “KidsCan! is a pretty intense program. We try to make sure it’s also fun.”

Check out photos from our 2021 events!