How a Journey Begins

Children’s Wishes extends a culture of caring to children facing significant medical challenges by granting the child’s Wish and offering continuing support with ongoing Family Programming.

Children’s Wishes is a Rhode Island based organization committed to providing life enhancing experiences to children facing significant medical challenges. Our Wish Granting approach involves the entire family to build lasting relationships along the way.

Our family programming facilitates unique bonds among our families as they reach out to each other for the support and understanding only another Wish family could provide. Thanks to our donors and charity partners, Children’s Wishes is able to provide hope as the journey of the Wish empowers our Wish children, their families and the communities they live in.

Criteria: Children’s Wishes was formed in 2009 to grant Wishes to Rhode Island children between the ages of 2 1/2 and 18 years of age who are facing a life-threatening medical condition that is malignant, progressive or degenerative. Children’s Wishes strives to make sure that each child who qualifies for a Wish is able to experience the joy of having their Wish come true.

Process: Children are referred to Children’s Wishes by parents/legal guardians, family members or friends with detailed knowledge of the child’s condition, medical professionals, parent advocates, teachers and social workers. A referral form is completed and with the parent’s permission the referral information is sent along to the child’s treating physician who will qualify the child based upon the eligibility criteria. If approved, a team of Wish Granters is assigned and sent out to meet with the Wish child to start the Wish Granting process. If the child does not qualify for a Wish, they are still eligible to participate in our family programming.