Frequently Asked Questions

  • Ladybug House is a nonprofit working to build Washington State’s first standalone pediatric respite and palliative care home—a warm, welcoming space for children, adolescents, and young adults living with serious illnesses, and the families who love them.

    Our future home will include 12 family suites designed not just for care, but for connection, comfort, and community. We will provide:

    • Comfort-focused medical care

    • Short-term breaks (respite) for caregivers

    • End-of-life support, when needed

    • A safe, non-hospital environment where families can be together.

    Here, children will receive loving, skilled care in a home-like setting. Siblings can breathe. Parents can rest. Families can create memories, not just manage symptoms. Whether a child is at the beginning, middle, or final stages of their journey—Ladybug House will be there, led by the child’s needs and guided by compassion.

  • Yes. Ladybug House is a 501(c)(3) public charity based in Washington State. Our Tax ID is 90-1020508, and all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Every contribution directly supports building our home and providing programs for families—always at no cost to them.

    (Please consult your tax advisor for specific guidance.)

❤️ INTRODUCTION & MISSION

🧒 WHO WE SERVE & WHAT WE PROVIDE

  • Pediatric palliative care focuses on comfort, quality of life, and compassionate support for children living with serious or complex medical conditions. It is not only for end-of-life—it’s care that honors the whole child and family, at any stage of illness.

  • Respite care means short-term, intermittent breaks for families. At Ladybug House, respite will be flexible: the child may stay alone while their caregivers rest, or the whole family can stay together in a private suite.

    We will tailor respite to meet each family’s unique needs—on their terms, not ours.

  • These terms often describe serious health conditions that affect children in profound ways, but they’re not always easy to understand. Here's how we use them:

    • Life-threatening usually refers to conditions that could result in death, but may also be treatable or curable. For example, some childhood cancers or heart defects are life-threatening but have a chance of recovery.

    • Life-limiting means the condition is expected to shorten a child’s life—even if it's not immediately fatal. These children may live for months or years with complex needs and require ongoing support. Examples include severe genetic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and some metabolic conditions.

    At Ladybug House, we focus on serious or complex medical conditions—whether they’re life-limiting, life-threatening, or both. Our mission is to provide comfort, support, and care for children and families navigating these incredibly challenging journeys.

  • Ladybug House serves children, adolescents, and young adults living with serious or complex medical conditions. We welcome families regardless of race, faith, income, or diagnosis. If you’re caring for a child whose condition affects daily life, whose care is exhausting, or whose future is uncertain—Ladybug House may be a place of rest and healing for you.

  • Ladybug House will collaborate with hospitals and care teams, but will operate independently. Our goal is to complement—not replace—medical systems by offering care in a non-clinical, home-like environment where families can heal in new ways.

  • Not quite. Ronald McDonald House provides lodging for families while their child is hospitalized. Ladybug House will provide direct hands-on care, comfort support, and overnight stays for the child—with or without their family—in a home setting, not a hospital.

  • Stays will vary depending on each family’s needs. Some may come for a few days of respite together. Others may stay a week or longer, especially during times of medical transition or end-of-life care. Families can come together, or children can stay while caregivers rest. Ladybug House will meet families where they are.

🏡 HOW WE CARE FOR FAMILIES

💸 SUSTAINABILITY & STRUCTURE

  • Ladybug House is building a sustainable funding model so that no family ever receives a bill for care. We’re inspired by successful examples like Crescent Cove in Minnesota and recent legislative progress such as Iowa’s Mason’s Law (2025), which have paved the way for pediatric palliative care centers to thrive.

    Our plan includes:

    • Medicaid and private insurance reimbursement for room and board

    • Collaboration with licensed care providers to deliver medical services

    • Philanthropy and community support to fund programs and ensure care is always free to families

    We’re working to bring this proven model to Washington State so that every child and family has access to the support they deserve.

  • Not yet—but we’re actively seeking the right location. Our goal is to create a tranquil, accessible campus in the greater Puget Sound area with space for 12 family suites, indoor and outdoor therapy areas, and places to rest, play, and heal. If you know of a property that may be a fit, we’d love to talk.

  • We’ve come a long way since we began in 2013. Thousands of volunteers have joined us. Families have shared their needs, professionals have voiced their support, and legislators are listening. We’ve built national and international relationships, gained nonprofit status, completed foundational research, created impactful programs, and laid the groundwork for a freestanding home. In 2023, we even presented at the Maruzza Congress in Rome, where our caregiver needs study was recognized as a global contribution to pediatric palliative care.

  • We’re in the home stretch, but we still need to secure land and build the physical home. Our virtual programs are already serving families, and the momentum is growing. With community support—through donations, pledges, and partnerships—we can open the doors to Ladybug House. Every step brings us closer.

  • There are so many ways to help:

    • Donate — every dollar helps build the house and fund care

    • Pledge — take the 1,000 x $1,000 pledge and fundraise in your own way

    • Share — tell your friends, your employer, your community

    • Volunteer — join us with your time, skills, or heart

    • Sponsor — connect us with potential funders or land opportunities

    Together, we can build something that changes lives.

🤝 HOW TO GET INVOLVED