VISION 2030This is what care
for kids looks like.
Joy, access, growth & community for the next generation of children facing cancer and serious illness.
For over three decades, Children’s Cancer Association has helped children with serious illness access the transformational power of joy when they need it most. Our award-winning JoyRx Music, Mentorship, and Nature programs reach over 47,000 children every year.
We have a clear path to reach more than 100,000 children by 2030 with your support.
Together, we can continue to redefine what care looks like for children with cancer facing long hospitalizations.
Pictured above: Alexandra Ellis in 1994, at age 4. She drew the heart at the center of our logo, which anchors and centers the legacy of joy we share. Learn more about our founding. A Mission founded on joy
& powered by community.
Children’s Cancer Association was founded in 1995 by Regina and Cliff Ellis after their five-year-old daughter, Alexandra, died of cancer. The Ellis family, together with other trailblazers, saw the profound need for innovative joy-based pediatric support services: JoyRx programs.
Today, we’ve grown to fifty JoyRx program sites in more than twenty states. Our trauma-informed approach aligns with healthcare goals and is guided by family feedback, clinical insight, and research-based best practices.
We show up for kids and families day in and day out. We partner closely with care teams to provide uplifting, personzlied experiences that help transform the pediatric care journey—because we know that joy can help sick kids feel like kids gain.
Each JoyRx program is provided free-of-charge to children, their families, and our hospital and care partners. Volunteers, donors, community supporters, and champions power the joy we are able to create and share.
Pictured above: JoyRx Mentor and Board of Directors member Darci with Evelyn, a JoyRx served child. Today, we’re expanding JoyRx programs for the next generation.
Our goal: JoyRx programs will reach 100k children each year by 2030.
In 2020, we launched a bold campaign to transform pediatric healthcare across the nation. With the generous support of community, we grew to more than 50 JoyRx programs sites in over 20 states in 2025, scaling to meet the needs of children that we serve across the nation.
But the demand for JoyRx programs has never been greater. In 2025, our leadership team consulted with served families, volunteers, as well as strategy and healthcare partners, to chart the course for what is next: a focus on access and connection.
We’ve set an ambitious goal to double the amount of children we reach in three years. By 2040, we want to make sure 100,000+ children have access to JoyRx every year.
Together we will:Raise $20MM in three years to achieve regional and national expansion plans sustainably, growing to meet demand while ensuring our legacy of joy.
Focus on program excellence as we gather deeper program impact data, and innovate to respond to the challenges facing young people in treatment today.
Sustainably scale our programs by accelterating national partnerships, deepening regional relationships, and building capacity.
A community investment in joy
Our plans for continued growth and expansion are a reflection of the generosity and investments shared with us, and the trust that we place in the community of supporters, volunteers, and partners who give generously to support JoyRx Programs.
We believe, and hope, that with your care and generosity, we can help even more—today, and for the next generation of children who need us.