Who is eligible to receive Fresh Start medical treatments?
Fresh Start Caring For Kids Foundation provides services to children and young adults from one-year-old to age 17 who are suffering from physical deformities caused by birth defects, accidents, abuse or disease. If you are interested in applying, visit the Apply for Help page for more information.

What is the cost to receive treatments through Fresh Start Caring For Kids Foundation?
Fresh Start services are provided free to children and young adults of financially disadvantaged families. Typically these are individuals and families who do not have medical insurance, qualify for state-funded programs, or who would suffer significant financial hardship if they were to pay for the necessary and costly medical treatment.

How are the services provided?
Fresh Start Caring For Kids Foundation is not a "free clinic." Walk-ups are not taken and surgeries are planned months in advance. You must apply in advance and be accepted as a patient in order to receive services from Fresh Start Caring For Kids Foundation. If you are interested in applying for help, please visit the Apply for Help page for more information.

Where are the services provided?
Surgery Weekends are provided at the Fresh Start Clinic at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, CA and at The University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago, IL. Dental Clinics are provided only in the San Diego area, at the offices of local dentists. For patients outside of Chicago and/or San Diego, transportation and lodging can be arranged to bring patients to the surgical or treatment facility.

What kind of volunteer opportunities do you offer?
The majority of volunteers at our surgery weekends and clinics are medical professionals ranging from anesthesiologists and surgeons to dental hygienists and RNs. If you are a medical professional interested in volunteering with Fresh Start Caring For Kids Foundation, please complete our volunteer application. Medical volunteers for our Chicago location must be on-staff or have medical privileges at The University of Chicago Medicine.

Are all of your staff volunteers?
All of Fresh Start Caring For Kids Foundation's surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, speech therapists, and other medical volunteers are volunteers at our Surgery Weekend. The actual surgeries, medical services and related health care are donated by professional medical personnel. The surgeons and other medical professionals who participate are volunteers and are not compensated, nor does the partner hospital receive any reimbursement other than for the cost of disposables utilized in providing patient care.

We have a small staff of 2 full-time employees who handle the organization's development, administration, and the planning and coordination of our medical programs.