Child self-regulation and caregiver hope: insights from families navigating Sickle cell disease and pediatric cancer

This pilot study explored caregiver experiences caring for children with hematologic and oncologic diseases. Survey data were collected from caregivers (<i>n</i> = 85) of children with hematologic and oncologic diseases while participating in therapeutic camp programming. Caregivers of children with Sickle Cell Disease perceived their child's ability to self-regulate higher than caregivers of children with cancer, which impacted aspects of caregiver hope and wellness. Implications for multi-sector collaborations are provided. In assessing caregiver hope, perception of child self-regulation was associated with higher caregiver hope and wellness, which varied by illness. Caregivers of children with SCD had higher hope scores on both the subscales and total scores compared to caregivers of children with cancer.