Hailey's Hope Foundation

Supporting Families in the NICU

Programs for Families

Having a baby hospitalized in the NICU is often unexpected, always stressful, and can turn your world upside down in an instant.  For most families, the NICU is a whole new world and having a premature or critically ill baby–whose chance of survival may change from moment to moment–is frightening and overwhelming.  Yet this is the time when NICU babies need their families the most.   Hailey’s Hope Foundation is there for families in the NICU–comforting, empowering and supporting them during this difficult time.  Financial assistance, care packages and emotional and informational support are just a few of the unique ways we help families cope so their babies can get better faster.

Below is an overview of the types of programs and support that Hailey’s Hope Foundation offers for NICU families.  Currently, programs are offered at  Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital (Valhalla, NY), Orange Regional Medical Center (Middletown, NY), Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital/NY Presbyterian at Columbia University Medical Center (New York, NY) and The Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center (Albany, NY).  Programs vary from hospital to hospital.  For more information about these programs, please contact the hospital’s social worker.

Financial Support Program (FSP)

Our Financial Support Program helps families in need with non-medical expenses so they can spend as much time as possible at the NICU, helping their babies get well.  These expenses are not covered by insurance companies, public agencies or community organizations.  Hailey’s Hope Foundation works directly with the hospital’s social worker and the family to understand the family’s personal needs and customize a support package for them. Benefits typically offered include:

  • Lodging:  Stays at local hotels and the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley (on-site at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, NY), so families can stay together, close to the hospital and their babies bedsides.
  • Transportation:  Gas cards, metro cards for public transportation, and hospital parking passes, to help absorb the costs of numerous and often long distance commutes to the NICU.
  • Meals:  Meal cards so families can stay nourished and worry less about where they will get their next meal.
  • Other:  Under special circumstances, we also try to help parents in need with essential baby supplies and other necessities.

Welcome Home Care Packages

Every parent looks forward to the day they can bring their baby home from the NICU, but leaving behind the security of 24/7 medical care can be frightening. To help ease parents’ anxieties about transitioning home, families are provided with a Welcome Home Care Package at discharge from the NICU.  Filled with essential baby supplies and important information, each package is designed to make going home a little bit easier.  (This program is offered at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, Orange Regional Medical Center, and The Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center).

Family Care kits

These kits are filled with personal care items to provide parents with basic necessities when they are unprepared for their baby’s NICU hospitalization.  (This program is offered at The Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center)