Join the #KidsDeserveBetter campaign
When Congress passed its year-end package just before Christmas, it left kids with cancer behind and stripped out several key bills we fought hard for throughout the last Congressional session. Now the childhood cancer community is banding together to rebuild what was lost and secure the enactment of these policies.
Join the community-wide awareness campaign asking the new Congress and Administration to prioritize kids with cancer. These children have waited long enough and deserve better.
Below are four ways you can help make some noise about these bipartisan issues. Pick your preference and join us in making a difference!
Send a message through our action center:
Our action alert is the quickest and easiest way for you to take action. The letter is pre-filled with all the details about these bipartisan bills, while still giving you the option to personalize the letter if you so choose. All you have to do is plug in your contact information, hit send, and your letter will immediately be sent to the offices of your Senators and Representative.
Can you help us reach our goal of grassroots outreach from all 50 states on this alert? See the map above: the states in white show where we're falling short.
Post and share on social media:
Join the awareness effort by posting on social media about why you think Congress should prioritize kids with cancer in 2025 — and be sure to include the hashtag #KidsDeserveBetter. Photos are great but video is even better!
If you have a personal connection to childhood cancer, start off by sharing your story or inviting your child to introduce themself. You can use these talking points in your text or script to explain the problem:
At the end of last year, Congress had an opportunity to help children with cancer and their families by passing five critical, bipartisan policies in the negotiated spending package. Unfortunately, each was cut from the final bill.
Together, these policies would've represented the most significant step forward for children with cancer in over a decade.
Kids don’t always get the newest, best treatments. That means more side effects and worse results. I know we can do better for kids — but we need better research funding.
Wrap it up with something like: That’s why I’m asking Congress to prioritize kids with cancer in 2025.
Tag your Members of Congress in the post and also be sure to tag us @childrenscause so we can share.
If you're not comfortable creating your own original post, you're encouraged to borrow ours. We've been sharing posts about this for the last few weeks. Visit any of our social channels to share or retweet a recent post about this.
Send a hand-written letter to your Senators and Representative:
Write your name and address on the back of the letter. Mail your three letters in one envelope to our office in DC, and we'll hand-deliver them to each office during Childhood Cancer Action Days. (More on Action Days below!)
Here's some sample text: As your constituent and a childhood cancer advocate, I urge you to prioritize children with cancer in 2025 and ensure that these five childhood cancer policies are included in any March health extenders package. The House unanimously passed each bill in the 118th Congress: the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act, Creating Hope Reauthorization Act, Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act, Give Kids A Chance Act, and the RARE Act.
You can find more language here. If you've been personally touched by childhood cancer, include a few sentences about your experience. Personal stories are always the most impactful and will best illustrate why children with cancer and survivors need more help, support, and research.
Mail* your letters to us at:
Children's Cancer Cause
1325 G Street NW, Suite 540
Washington, DC 20005
If you are the caregiver to a child with cancer, invite them to draw a picture on the letter and take their photo with it before you put it in the mail. Then share on social media and tag your lawmakers. Here's a sample tweet: [KID’S NAME] wrote you this letter because kids with cancer are counting on you to put them first in 2025. #KidsDeserveBetter
*Letters need to arrive by February 15th for delivery during Action Days.
Join us on Capitol Hill:
The 15th Annual Alliance for Childhood Cancer Action Days is right around the corner. It will be held in Washington, DC from February 27-28, 2025.
Action Days gives advocates an opportunity to speak with lawmakers and their staff to advocate for important childhood cancer issues before Congress. Sharing your story will ensure the voices of children with cancer are heard loud and clear on Capitol Hill.
Updated post on 2-7: The registration deadline has now passed.