Community Impact Awards
At CureSearch, our mission is to identify and invest in the most promising research to accelerate the development of new and safer treatments for children with cancer. We do this by funding the highest-potential translational research through our Young Investigator, Acceleration Initiative, and Catapult grant portfolios, ensuring promising discoveries move from the lab toward patients as quickly as possible.
But we also know that for families facing childhood cancer today, progress doesn’t only happen in research labs.
Children and families need emotional, psychological, and social support at every stage of the cancer journey from diagnosis through treatment and into survivorship. Community-based programs and local hospital initiatives play a vital role in meeting those immediate needs, helping families navigate an incredibly challenging time with care, dignity, and connection.
In 2026, CureSearch proudly expanded our impact through the CureSearch Community Impact Awards (CCIA), made possible by a generous grant gift from Resonance Philanthropies. These awards represent a meaningful complement to our research funding, supporting psychosocial programs that strengthen care for children with cancer and their families while scientific breakthroughs continue to advance.
Our CCIA recipients include hospitals and medical institutions engaging in pediatric oncology care. Each CCIA recipient received up to $15,000 to support programs designed to improve emotional and behavioral well-being. Funded initiatives may include support groups, educational resources, workshops, and therapeutic offerings such as play or art therapy services that help children and families feel supported, informed, and less alone.
2026 CureSearch Community Impact Award Recipients
- Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego, CA
Helping Children with Cancer Heal: Psychosocial Programs at Rady Hospital
Expands psychosocial programming for children with cancer through therapeutic play and supportive activities designed to reduce anxiety, encourage connection, and strengthen coping during treatment.
- Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth, TX
Adulting 101: Life Skills for Cancer Patients Turning 18
Helps teen cancer patients and survivors prepare for adulthood by building practical skills in health management, self-advocacy, insurance, finances, education, and independent living.
- Primary Children’s Hospital – Salt Lake City, UT
Bridging the Gap: Survivorship Support Group and Resource Library
Creates a survivorship support program that connects pediatric cancer survivors and caregivers through peer support, education, and resources that reduce isolation and promote long-term well-being.
- Children’s Minnesota – Minneapolis, MN
Creating a Child- and Teen-Friendly Treatment Room
Transforms a cancer treatment room into a calming, child- and teen-friendly environment designed to reduce anxiety, provide positive distraction, and improve the treatment experience.
- Children’s National Medical Center – Washington, DC
Education Specialist Program to Support Academic Goals of Youth with Cancer
Helps children with cancer stay connected to their education through individualized academic support, school coordination, and resources for families, educators, and healthcare professionals.
- Augusta University – Augusta, GA
Support Group for New Pediatric Cancer Families
Creates a support program for newly diagnosed pediatric cancer families that combines peer connection, mental health support, practical resources, and therapeutic activities throughout the treatment journey.
- Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas – Austin, TX
Nourishing Caregivers
Brings caregivers of children with cancer together through facilitated support groups, shared meals, and parent-led discussions that reduce isolation and provide practical guidance and connection.
- Children’s Hospital Colorado – Aurora, CO
Psychosocial Wellbeing in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT Patients
Supports a medical dog and Child Life program designed to reduce stress and anxiety, strengthen coping, and improve psychosocial well-being for children receiving cancer and blood disorder care.
- University of Virginia – Charlottesville, VA
Comfort & Care: Supporting Families in the UVA Children’s Infusion Center
Provides personalized comfort kits and caregiver support for children receiving cancer infusions, using distraction and comfort resources to reduce anxiety, pain, and treatment-related stress.
We are so thankful for our community of supporters like CureSearch. Your generosity and spirit allow us to focus on what matters most: caring for children.
~ Jennifer Roe Darling, President and CEO, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation
We are honored to support these outstanding pediatric cancer centers and the compassionate teams behind them. Their work reflects a shared belief that caring for children with cancer means caring for the whole child and the family beside them.
Together, through both research and community-based support, we are helping move childhood cancer care forward on every front.
Questions? Connect with our Community Engagement team at communityengagement@curesearch.org
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