ABOUT OUR CHARITY

Ontario Parents Advocating for Children with Cancer (OPACC) is a registered charity whose overall goal, since our establishment in 1995, is to be the parent voice for families with children diagnosed with cancer across the Province of Ontario. We provide support to childhood cancer families in hospital, at home, and throughout all stages of their child’s cancer journey. Our three pillars of support are:  

In addition to the in-hospital support provided through our Parent Liaison program, OPACC also works with local community groups across the Province to build a network of local community-based Parent Support groups to ensure that families are supported once they are back home.

OPACC is an independent registered charity; while we often partner with other organizations to provide services to our families, our programs are managed separately. OPACC receives no government or hospital funding and all funding for the development of our programs, services and special events (which are provided at no cost to our families) comes from the donations of generous organizations, businesses, foundations, and individuals.

OPACC is different because we support parents (and families) of children with cancer! While children with cancer deservedly have access to an impressive support network of healthcare professionals, friends and family, and charitable organizations focused on making them better and improving their quality of life, parents are often the "forgotten patient" and experience a high level of stress while juggling the demands of caring for their sick child as well as for the rest of the family and work. A diagnosis of childhood cancer is devastating in its impact to the entire family, as they experience fear, anxiety, and frequently face financial hardships. OPACC believes in the value of providing parent support and that strong families start with strong parent support.