Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

Childhood Cancer Lantern
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Camp Kids Are Kids Chicago

Camp Kids Are Kids Chicago Urban Camp · About this organization

What you get

Your child with cancer and their brothers and sisters get a free four-day city camp, staying in a hotel with outings, activities and medical staff on hand around the clock.

How to start

Go to the official CampDoc link, create or sign in to an account, and complete the camper application.

Good to know

  • The camper page lists camp week as September 4 to 7; call (312) 912-5308 to confirm the next one.
  • Medical and program staff review the camper file before accepting a place.

The details, as published

B-ALL is in scope Application Window Closed

A no-cost, five-day/four-night urban camp in Chicago for 7–17-year-olds living with or beyond cancer and their siblings, with separate patient and sibling lodging and full onsite medical support.

Go to the official program ↗

What help you may get

Camps And Retreats

Free urban camp admission

Five full days and four nights of hotel-based camp, activities, Chicago excursions, meals, lodging, and continuous medical staffing.

Noncash help · Per Event

5 camp days per award

Can cover

  • camp admission
  • hotel accommodation
  • activities and excursions
  • onsite medical support
  • No financial cost to families.
  • Camp takes place over five full days and four nights.

Peer And Emotional Support

Patient and sibling peer support

Separate patient and sibling camp communities build friendships, coping skills, resilience, confidence, and mutual understanding.

Noncash help · Per Event

Can cover

  • peer connection
  • sibling coping support
  • caregiver respite during camp

Check the main eligibility rules

Diagnosis

B-ALL is in scope. B-ALL is a pediatric cancer within the published cancer scope.

Age

Age 7 to age 17, measured at service date.

  • The same age range is stated for patient and sibling campers.

Treatment status

Active Treatment, Maintenance Treatment, Post Treatment, Survivorship

  • The medical team reviews the complete file and coordinates care with treating physicians before acceptance.
  • Applications must be complete before a camper can be accepted.
  • There is no financial cost to camper families.

Where you live and where your child is treated

Where your family lives

Residence coverage is not published clearly; confirm with the program.

  • The site describes a Chicago-area camp but does not publish a residence boundary.

Where your child is treated

Treatment-location rules are not published clearly; confirm with the program.

  • Treating-provider contact is requested, but no required hospital or network is published.
Where the service, camp, stay, or experience happens
  • Hilton Hotels of Chicago — Urban camp lodging and activity base; venue does not establish residence eligibility. — Hilton hotel properties in Chicago; the specific patient and sibling properties are not published.

How to get started

Get ready to apply

Does a social worker or care team need to start it? No. A required care-team start is not published; the family can use the available route below.

Who can start: Parent Or Guardian

  1. Open the official CampDoc link, create or sign in to an account, and complete the camper application.
  2. Prepare camper/provider contacts, emotional and behavioral needs, allergies, diet, insurance, a photo, waivers, and all medications including over-the-counter medicines.
  3. Watch email for the required medical forms, have them completed, and return the complete file for medical and program review.
  4. Medical and program staff review the complete file and communicate an acceptance decision.
  5. If no response arrives by the stated follow-up point, call 312-912-5308.

Ways to apply or ask

  • Online Portal · Open form or page — The linked portal redirects to a CampDoc login before showing the application.
  • Phone · 312-912-5308 — Use for application assistance or follow-up when no acceptance response arrives.

Documents to prepare

  • Complete CampDoc camper application and profile.
  • Liability waivers covering camp activities, needed medical treatment, and photo use.
  • Medical forms emailed after the online application and completed for medical-team review.
  • Medical and program staff review a complete file before accepting the camper.

Availability and timing

ProgramActive
ApplicationsApplication Window Closed
Funding or spaceNot Published
Application windowSeasonal
Last checkedSep 29, 2026
  • The only camp week printed (September 4–7) has passed; the page still says applications are accepted and its deadline text dates from 2024.
  • The camper page lists September 4–7 as camp week and still carries a June 15, 2024 deadline; confirm the next cycle by phone.
  • The page's late-June decision timing appears tied to its retained 2024 deadline and should be confirmed for 2026.

Limitations and things to confirm

  • The camper page's deadline and decision dates still refer to 2024.
  • Residence and treatment-location rules are not published.
  • CampDoc fields and emailed medical forms are not publicly reviewable before account access.
  • Confirm the actual current camper deadline and full CampDoc/medical-form workflow.
  • Confirm residence, treatment-facility, and exact venue rules.
  • GPT Pro run57 (2026-09-25): What is the next camper session, its year, deadline and decision date after September 4–7, 2026?
  • GPT Pro run57 (2026-09-25): Is camp four calendar days, or does the older five-day/four-night description still apply to some campers?
  • GPT Pro run57 (2026-09-25): Can the current medical packet and CampDoc requirements be reviewed without creating a family account?

Official sources

Program details were last verified Aug 27, 2026. Availability can change, so check the official program before applying.

Official program