Background/Objectives: Pediatric oncology patients and families are at risk for increased distress at diagnosis. The New Oncology Program in Psychology (NOPP) aligns psychological care with the established standards of care at diagnosis. This project aimed to evaluate NOPP and understand the differences between caregivers’ perceptions of feeling informed and prepared to navigate psychosocial concerns for those who did and did not receive psychological services at diagnosis. Methods: A survey was administered via a virtual platform. Frequency analyses summarize caregiver experiences and concerns. Mann–Whitney U tests assess the differences in caregiver knowledge and preparedness between caregivers who did and did not receive psychological services. Results: Caregivers reported difficult emotions at diagnosis and expressed concern for the impact of diagnosis and treatment across broad domains of patient functioning. Caregivers of patients who received psychology consultation felt more informed about difficult emotions and how these may change over time. They felt more prepared and equipped with strategies to manage difficult emotions. Caregivers of patients who completed a cognitive assessment also felt more informed and prepared regarding the potential effects of the diagnosis and treatment on patient cognitive/academic functioning. Conclusions: Psychological services were associated with caregivers’ positive perceptions surrounding the management of difficult emotions and with their knowledge regarding the cognitive/academic impact. The results inform the ongoing modification of NOPP.

Globally, approximately 400,000 youth are diagnosed with pediatric cancer each year. Treatment-related side effects, psychosocial challenges, and frequent school absences may adversely impact learning and the education experience among these youth. Efforts to enhance interagency collaboration between health care settings and community schools are imperative to facilitate school reintegration. The Standards for the Psychosocial Care of Children with Cancer and Their Families outline specific guidelines related to the continuity of education for students impacted by pediatric cancer. In particular, the Academic Continuity and School Reentry Support and Monitoring and Assessment of Neuropsychological Outcomes standards of care highlighted within this article align with extant programmatic efforts for transitioning hospitalized school-aged children back into community schools. This article aims to describe systematic programmatic efforts within hospital-based psychosocial programs that are consistent with the Standards for the Psychosocial Care of Children with Cancer and Their Families, as well as interagency collaboration with community schools to support student-centered education for youth impacted by pediatric cancer. Resources for school psychologists, teachers, hospital-based programs, and others involved in student-centered education for pediatric cancer patients and survivors are presented.

With the emergence of a global pandemic, the landscape for psychosocial service delivery to pediatric cancer patients and their families shifted. There was a transition to provide psychosocial supp...

Given the understandable patient and caregiver distress that often fluctuates across treatment, especially at diagnosis and with major disease milestones, it is important to prioritize interventions that are known to best support families during these key times of transition. Individualized and time-sensitive psychoeducation and anticipatory guidance are effective interventions in reducing distress and fostering adaptive coping across the cancer trajectory and are a standard for the psychosocial care of children with cancer and their families. Patient education materials have proven to be a flexible, accessible, cost-effective, and easily adaptable tool for delivering these interventions to this population. Moreover, within the field, there has been a call to action for the inclusion of patients and families in the development of research study design and clinical programming, recognizing them as the experts of their own experiences. This commentary aims to explore how patients and families can be actively involved in the creation, assessment, and implementation of patient education materials, fostering a collaborative partnership between families and clinicians. We provide detailed examples of this collaboration in the creation of patient education materials focused on promoting coping at diagnosis, supporting siblings and assisting with social reintegration at the end of treatment, promoting responsive caregiving for young children, and supporting caregiver coping through the creation of a podcast. Ultimately, this commentary seeks to emphasize the importance of partnering with patients and families to ensure their voices remain central to intervention development and implementation.