Alleviating Travel Burden for Families with Hospitalized Children: Launch of 'Connecting Families Travel Support'

The certified non-profit organization Keep Smiling (Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Board Chair: Yuki Mitsuhara) will officially launch the 'Connecting Families Travel Support' program in June 2026, aimed at reducing the financial burden of travel for children hospitalized in distant medical institutions and their families. This initiative follows a successful trial period that began in February 2026, resulting in support being provided for 10 cases over three months.

Background: The Reality of Travel Burden and Family Separation
Children requiring advanced, specialized medical care often face situations where they must be hospitalized in hospitals far from home. This is particularly common in cases of organ transplants (such as heart or kidney transplants), where specialized care is concentrated in limited institutions, frequently necessitating trips of over 100km one-way.
In such cases, hospitalized children, their accompanying guardians, and siblings left at home are separated, creating a situation where families live apart. This leads to continuous travel needs for visits or temporary returns, and parents often need to travel to see their other children. Costs for transportation—including train fares, flights, and private vehicle expenses (gas and tolls)—accumulate over the course of long-term hospitalizations. It has been confirmed that some families reduce the frequency of hospital visits or homecoming visits for siblings due to these financial burdens, which negatively impacts family connection and adds to the strain of caregiving.

About 'Connecting Families Travel Support'
This program provides financial support for transportation to ensure families can see each other and maintain connections despite long-term hospitalization in distant locations. Implementation begins in June 2026 under the following conditions:

Eligibility Criteria:
- Child under 18 years old at the time of application
- Long-term hospitalization for heart or kidney transplant surgery, or transplant-related care
- Distance between home and hospital is at least 100km one-way
- Household income is below a certain threshold

Support Details:
- Subsidy for transportation costs associated with visits and hospitalization (including gasoline and tolls)
- Annual limit of 50,000 yen per family

Application Method:
Applications are processed through referrals from attending physicians. Families who believe they may be eligible are encouraged to consult with the organization first.

Trial Results and Future Outlook
Started as a trial program for heart and kidney transplant-related hospitalizations, the results were as follows:
- Period: February – April 2026
- Applications: 12
- Cases Supported: 10
Moving forward, the organization plans to review the system design, improve operations based on feedback from users and medical institutions, and consider expanding the scope of eligible diseases.

Message from the Board Chair
Travel associated with distant hospitalization is an ongoing burden for accompanying families. This project was made possible by donations received through hometown tax contributions (Furusato Nozei) and crowdfunding. We are committed to continuing the exploration of more effective support measures and will proceed with efforts that include expanding eligibility.