One of the most common and painful experiences for parents facing a cancer diagnosis — their own or their child’s — is not knowing what to say or how to say it in a way their children can understand and handle. Wellspring’s Family Counselling program is designed precisely for this moment, offering private, appointment-based video call sessions with trained family counsellors who specialize in helping parents and children navigate the emotional, physical, and practical impact of cancer together. The counsellor will work with you to determine who should attend each session — whether that’s just you as a parent, or together with your children — and will schedule a time that works for your family. Up to three private sessions are provided, and Wellspring also has a child life specialist on staff to help connect families with additional resources both within Wellspring and in the broader community.
Children coping with cancer — whether as a patient, a sibling, or the child of a parent with cancer — often show their distress in ways that aren’t always immediately recognized as cancer-related: disrupted sleep, increased anxiety, withdrawal from friends, difficulty concentrating at school, or unexpected anger and confusion. Research published in peer-reviewed journals confirms that children whose parents have received a cancer diagnosis face a meaningfully elevated risk of emotional and behavioral difficulties, and that psychosocial support is a critical component of care for the whole family. Wellspring’s Family Counselling program is available for families in which either a child has cancer or a parent does, and is led by trained professionals with experience helping children and parents build understanding, communication, and coping skills together. Benefits documented through research and program outcomes include improved sleep, reduced anxiety, better interactions with peers and parents, and stronger family functioning.
Yes, Wellspring’s Parents of Children with Cancer Support Group is an online support group created specifically for parents and caregivers of dependent children under the age of 18 who are living with cancer. It follows an unstructured, open-forum model, meaning you can bring forward whatever is weighing on you most — there is no set agenda, only a safe and understanding community of people who truly know what this experience is like. The group is led by a seasoned healthcare professional with deep experience supporting caregivers of children with cancer, and is offered in collaboration with Ontario Parents Advocating for Children with Cancer. For parents who often feel profoundly isolated in this experience, this group offers both the human connection and the informed guidance that can be genuinely hard to find elsewhere.
The evidence is clear and consistent: children who receive psychosocial support during a family member’s cancer diagnosis show measurable improvements across multiple areas of wellbeing. Published research demonstrates that supported children experience better sleep, lower anxiety, improved relationships with peers and parents, and stronger emotional coping — while unsupported children face a higher risk of behavioral and emotional difficulties that can persist well beyond the cancer experience itself. A systematic review by Inhestern et al. concluded that psychosocial interventions are a crucial component of care for families with children affected by parental cancer, and multiple studies on art-based therapies specifically have found significant quality-of-life improvements for children and adults alike. Wellspring’s Family Support programs are each grounded in this body of research.
Wellspring offers three distinct family support programs, each designed to meet families at a different point of need. Family Counselling provides up to three private, appointment-based video sessions with a trained family counsellor — ideal for families who need personalized, professional guidance on communication, coping, and navigating the emotional impact of cancer with children under 16. The Parents of Children with Cancer Support Group is an online peer support group for parents and caregivers of children under 18 with cancer, offering a space to connect with others who understand this unique experience without judgment or agenda. Adventures in Art is a monthly creative program where members and their school-aged children can simply be together, make something, and experience the well-documented benefits of art-based expression in a warm and welcoming setting. Because each program serves a different need, many families find value in more than one — and the right starting point depends on where your family is right now.