Our Atlanta Program

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) enhances the lives of children through excellence in patient care, research and education.  They serve our community with more than 30 pediatric specialties and are committed to be being a model for pediatric care.  The children are assured of top rate medical care through these programs, providing them with the best chance of recovery. But if they feel abandoned and alone in their greatest time of need, their chances of recovery are diminished, and they may face long-term social and emotional issues.

The CHOA model has a core component of being a champion of family-centered care and understands that family presence is very important to the emotional, social, spiritual and physical comfort and recovery of a hospitalized child. They employ a Child Life staff to work with families in supporting their children. But even Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta cannot provide sufficient numbers of trained staff to support the children whose families cannot be with them. Those children need uninterrupted hours of staff time to even begin to replace a consistent family presence.

Josh Cares Wants to Fill the Gap

While we are just in the planning stage, with a shared mission and sense of purpose, we hope Atlanta will be the first of many new Josh Cares' cities across the country.

Fundraising activities have begun. The fellowships last for one year and each one costs approximately $35,000, inclusive of wages, taxes, and benefits.

Our Fellows will be with those children when their families cannot. They will be there during their greatest time of need – a familiar face to help fill their lonely hours, to read them stories until they fall asleep, to play games with them, to hold their hands and be with them during painful procedures, to talk to them about anything, to let them know they are cared for and special.

There are many wonderful charities that provide gifts and tangible items to the patients of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, but sometimes what children need most is the undivided attention of someone who makes them feel special. The funds raised by the Josh Cares program will be used for that purpose – augmenting the therapeutic services of CHOA by providing individual care and attention for children who can not benefit from the physical presence of family members.