Koru Care Christchurch provides opportunities to very special children aged between 9 and 15 years, an experience of a lifetime, assisting them to forget for a short time, their own serious (often ongoing) medical conditions and or disabilities, you only need to see the smiles on their faces to appreciate what a difference these experiences can make to their outlook and well being.  

Our aim is to bring these children home stronger and more empowered. 

The Koru Care Christchurch region covers Canterbury as far south south as Waimate, the West Coast, Nelson, Marlborough and of course Christchurch City.

Koru Care will provide these children with:

  • Airfares and all internal travel
  • Accommodation 
  • Entry fees to all the attractions 
  • Meals  
  • Medical care 
  • 24 hour caregivers 
  • Travel uniform 
  • Medical Insurances 
  • Travel Visas to USA 
  • What is the financial cost to the parents? Koru Care Christchurch covers all expenses.

However, on the USA trip we expect the parents to supply a current passport and some spending money to cover the child’s souvenir purchases and special gifts for their siblings 

We provide special experiences for children with varied serious medical diagnoses.

Acceptance is subject to medical assessment  as well as travel insurance acceptance.

  • Not every child Koru Care receives an application for is accepted 
  • Not every child with a medical diagnosis qualifies, for a Koru Care experience 
  • Koru Care has a waiting list.

Koru Care receives lots of applications for children, it is important to realise we do have a lengthy selection process, this process includes:

  • A comprehensive written Application form completed by the parents/caregiver as well as the child’s general practitioner.
  • Provision of a variety of doctors letters; reports on hospital procedures and clinic appointments; provision of laboratory and radiology results.
  • A telephone interview with parent, and visit/s with the child and their family.
  • Sometimes, but not always, contact is made with the child’s school 
  • Medical diagnosis, age, mobility, maturity, and dependence all come into the selection process 
  • Gaining Travel  Insurance, for USA travel is an essential part of the application/selection process. This is application will be processed by the Koru Care medical team.

We aim provide a wide variety of fun experiences and activities throughout the trip.

Our trip to California include visits to Seaworld, San Diego Zoo, Universal studios, Knottsberry Farm, California Adventureland and DISNEYLAND.

Special national and local experiences have included:

  • Fantastical Journey Flight  on the Dreamliner 787.
  • Meeting up with the Crusaders and other well known Cantabrians.
  • Experiencing the Open Day at the Air New Zealand Air Craft Hanger Open Day.
  • Mid Winter Swims.

Koru Care Christchurch covers all expenses. 

However, on the USA trip we expect the parents to supply a current passport and some spending money to cover the child’s souvenir purchases and special gifts for their siblings