Here for every step of the NICU journey.

Project NICU supports families of premature and medically fragile infants in Northeast Ohio so no NICU family feels alone.

A sleeping NICU baby tucked in a striped blanket on a rainbow sheet
A parent's hand resting gently on a tiny baby in the NICU

Our mission

Project NICU is dedicated to providing financial and emotional support and resources to families with children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the medical professionals who care for them.

Every program is offered at no cost to families, from their earliest days at the bedside through life after discharge.

Our Mission

Operation H.O.P.E.

How we support NICU families

Operation HOPE surrounds NICU families with practical resources, emotional support, meaningful connection and financial relief, from their earliest days at the bedside through life after discharge.

A big sibling in a Project NICU “Hope grows here” cape, looking into an isolette

Hope Connects

Care packages, plus Sibling Kits, NICU Graduation Kits, Heart to Heart Packs and Bereavement Packages.

Explore care packages
A mom kissing her baby’s head in the NICU

Hope Heals

Free, confidential counseling in partnership with BetterHelp.

Start counseling
A mom holding her baby while talking with a supporter

Hope Shares

Virtual and in-person support groups for parents, dads, grandparents, bereaved families, and families of medically complex and neurodivergent NICU grads.

Find a support group

Ways to help

Help a NICU family feel less alone

A mom holding her baby close and kissing her head

Give

Every gift, at every level, helps a NICU family feel less alone.

Donate
A volunteer reading a book beside an isolette

Volunteer

Pack care packages at Volunteer Saturdays, become a peer supporter, or join our Ambassadors.

Get involved
A sleeping baby in a lavender bow and floral swaddle

Giving Hope Circle

Give $1,000 or more in a year and join the donors who help us plan ahead for families.

Join the Circle
Project NICU and MetroHealth team members cutting the ribbon on the new Respite Room

Our hospital partners

At the bedside in six hospitals

  • MetroHealth
  • UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s
  • Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
  • Cleveland Clinic Fairview
  • Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest
  • UnityPoint Health Trinity

In December 2025 we opened the MetroHealth Respite Room, a space of comfort and care for NICU families.

Our impact

What we’ve accomplished together

Read the impact report

Thank you for being one of the reasons a NICU family felt less alone this year.

Articles

Stories of Strength and Hope

Insights from our journey supporting NICU families

Stay Connected with Us!

Stay Connected with Us!