Development of a Structured Peer Mentoring Program for Support of Parents and Caregivers of Children with Cancer

Background: Parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer have increased anxiety, depression, and numerous questions. Many of these concerns can only be answered by parents who have undergone a similar experience. Local problem: Our institution lacked a formal parent-to-parent mentoring program for parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer. Methods: The Parent Family Advisory Council (PFAC) recommended implementation of a formalized program that would promote a structured approach to mentoring, with a formal referral process and designated parent mentors who had been vetted, trained, and supported by the institution. Intervention: In 2010, a pilot parent-to-parent mentoring program was initiated. Results: Since the programs initiation, 4062 encounters have been documented. This represents an annual aver-age of 72 mentees paired with 20 mentors, averaging 677 annual encounters. Parents view the mentoring rela-tionship as positive and report that they feel understood, less anxious, and less isolated. Conclusion: We show that a parent-to-parent mentoring program is feasible and sustainable over time. Our model is now transitioning from a staff referral to self-referral, as well as incorporating real-time mentoring into the new commons area for patients and their families. A formal volunteer mentoring program can assist par-ents in navigating the trajectory of childhood cancer, decreasing isolation. (c) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.