Who is Starlight Children's Foundation?

When a child is hospitalized for a serious illness, it often comes with different challenges and difficulties.  

That’s why Starlight exists. 

We ensure children’s hospitals are easier places for kids to be. Our vital programs help prepare kids for treatments, distract them from endless pokes or pain, find relief from stress and anxiety, and ease boredom to help kids feel better. 

There’s four words no parent should ever hear: “your child is sick.”  

These words fuel the core of our charity’s mission: “delivering happiness to seriously ill children and their families.” When we provide programs that help kids in hospitals and families find comfort, they experience a renewed sense of optimism – and happy kids heal faster.

1. Starlight is America’s broadest-reaching charity focused on sick kids. Starlight’s reach is local yet national. You can donate to support kids in your own community, region, state, or across the country. 

2. Starlight is recognized as an integral part of the total care of hospitalized kids. Starlight programs help kids facing a wide range of diagnoses, from all serious illnesses to chronic illness, to injury, from inpatient to outpatient. 

3. Starlight is an accredited 501(c)(3) and delivers its programs free of cost to over 800 children’s hospitals and healthcare facilities nationwide, serving over 3 million children. In 2024, 46% of facilities in Starlight’s network serve medically underserved communities. 

4. Starlight has received the highest grades possible for accountability and transparency across all not-for-profit rating organizations. This includes a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for seven consecutive years, an achievement attained by only 13% of charities.

Happiness improves our health and emotional well-being. That’s why Starlight’s play-powered programs all aim to deliver happiness to kids with serious illnesses.

What Donor Dollars Deliver 

Starlight’s tangible, play-powered programs supports a child’s healing with play throughout their hospital journey; bringing comfort, positive distraction, and a sense of normalcy during the moments they may feel overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed.

The Starlight Families program also exists to bridge the gap between a child’s hospital journey and their at-home recovery. By joining this program, families receive digital tools and resources and early access to Starlight programs that continue to bring happiness to pediatric patients and their families.