KidChair Program

Designed to Grow.

Built to Go Anywhere.

Every child deserves the opportunity to participate in family life, attend school, engage with their community, and experience the world with greater comfort and independence.

The Hope Haven KidChair is a durable, adjustable pediatric wheelchair designed for children living with disabilities in communities where specialized mobility equipment may be difficult — or impossible — to access.

Built for real-world conditions and adaptable to a child's changing needs, each KidChair provides more than mobility. It provides support, inclusion, dignity, and opportunity.

KidChair sizes: 12-inch, 14-inch, 16-inch.

A Pediatric Wheelchair Designed Differently

The Hope Haven KidChair was developed through the combined efforts of engineering students from Dordt University, rehabilitation engineers, therapists, and mobility specialists.

Its modular design allows trained teams to adjust the chair to accommodate a wide variety of body shapes, sizes, and positioning needs. Unlike many conventional pediatric wheelchairs, the KidChair uses a durable bolted construction with no welded frame components, making it easier to modify, repair, and service using commonly available tools.

This practical design is especially important in the rugged and resource-limited environments where many KidChairs are distributed.

Designed to Grow.

Built to Go Anywhere.

Every child deserves the opportunity to participate in family life, attend school, engage with their community, and experience the world with greater comfort and independence.

The Hope Haven KidChair is a durable, adjustable pediatric wheelchair designed for children living with disabilities in communities where specialized mobility equipment may be difficult — or impossible — to access.

Built for real-world conditions and adaptable to a child's changing needs, each KidChair provides more than mobility. It provides support, inclusion, dignity, and opportunity.

KidChair sizes: 12-inch, 14-inch, 16-inch.

Sponsor a KidChair

Learn How It Works

A Pediatric Wheelchair Designed Differently

The Hope Haven KidChair was developed through the combined efforts of engineering students from Dordt University, rehabilitation engineers, therapists, and mobility specialists.

Its modular design allows trained teams to adjust the chair to accommodate a wide variety of body shapes, sizes, and positioning needs. Unlike many conventional pediatric wheelchairs, the KidChair uses a durable bolted construction with no welded frame components, making it easier to modify, repair, and service using commonly available tools.

This practical design is especially important in the rugged and resource-limited environments where many KidChairs are distributed.

Built Around the Child

No two children have exactly the same mobility or positioning needs. That is why each KidChair can be individually configured to provide appropriate support.

Features may include:

Adjustable seat width and depth
Hip guides
Butterfly-style chest harness
Modular components that can be changed as the child grows

Custom postural support
Therapeutic tray
Adjustable foot support
Durable construction for uneven roads and challenging environments

The goal is not simply to place a child in a wheelchair. It is to create a mobility system that supports comfort, health, safety, and participation.

Built Around the Child

No two children have exactly the same mobility or positioning needs. That is why each KidChair can be individually configured to provide appropriate support.

Features may include:

Adjustable seat width and depth
Hip laterals
Modular components that can be changed as the child grows

Custom postural support
Therapeutic tray
Durable construction for uneven roads and challenging environments

Butterfly-style chest harness
Adjustable foot support

The goal is not simply to place a child in a wheelchair. It is to create a mobility system that supports comfort, health, safety, and participation.

Why Proper Positioning Matters

Without appropriate positioning and support, everyday activities can become uncomfortable, exhausting, or even medically dangerous.

Children without properly fitted mobility equipment may face increased risk of:

Respiratory complications
Digestive complications
Reduced access to education and community life

Pressure injuries
Pain and discomfort
Social isolation
Progressive physical deformities

Many of these risks can be reduced through proper positioning, mobility support, and caregiver education.

A well-fitted KidChair can help a child sit more comfortably, interact with others, attend school, participate in daily activities, and experience greater independence.

Why Proper Positioning Matters

Without appropriate positioning and support, everyday activities can become uncomfortable, exhausting, or even medically dangerous.

Children without properly fitted mobility equipment may face increased risk of:

Respiratory complications
Digestive complications
Reduced access to education and community life

Pressure injuries
Pain and discomfort

Progressive physical deformities
Social isolation

Many of these risks can be reduced through proper positioning, mobility support, and caregiver education.

A well-fitted KidChair can help a child sit more comfortably, interact with others, attend school, participate in daily activities, and experience greater independence.

Real-World Ready

Designed for Challenging Environments

Many of the children Hope Haven International serves live in communities with unpaved roads, uneven sidewalks, limited access to replacement parts, and few specialized repair services. The KidChair was intentionally designed with those realities in mind.

Durable enough for rugged terrain
Adjustable without proprietary tools
Repairable in the country where it is distributed
Built with serviceable and replaceable components
Designed for long-term use and modification

Independently Verified

Tested for Strength & Durability

The KidChair was evaluated by Beneficial Designs, an independent rehabilitation engineering and testing firm in Minden, Nevada.

Drop testing

Static load testing

Impact testing

Fatigue testing

Detailed measurement and analysis of wheelchair components

130 lbs

The chair cleared the applicable testing requirements for a user weighing up to 130 pounds — helping ensure it can withstand repeated use in demanding environments.

Real-World Ready

Designed for Challenging Environments

Many of the children Hope Haven International serves live in communities with unpaved roads, uneven sidewalks, limited access to replacement parts, and few specialized repair services. The KidChair was intentionally designed with those realities in mind.

Durable enough for rugged terrain
Adjustable without proprietary tools
Repairable in the country where it is distributed
Built with serviceable and replaceable components
Designed for long-term use and modification

Independently Verified

Tested for Strength & Durability

The KidChair was evaluated by Beneficial Designs, an independent rehabilitation engineering and testing firm in Minden, Nevada.

Drop testing

Static load testing

Impact testing

Fatigue testing

Detailed measurement and analysis of wheelchair components

130 lbs

The chair cleared the applicable testing requirements for a user weighing up to 130 pounds — helping ensure it can withstand repeated use in demanding environments.

A Chair That Can Grow With the Child

Children grow quickly, but access to a replacement wheelchair is not guaranteed.

The KidChair's adjustable, modular design allows components to be repositioned or modified as a child's size and needs change. This helps extend the useful life of the wheelchair and reduces the likelihood that a child will quickly outgrow the support it provides.

Because the chair can be adjusted using common tools, trained local partners and caregivers may also be better equipped to maintain the chair over time.

The Hope Haven Tilt KidChair

Some children require more advanced positioning and pressure relief than the original Hope Haven KidChair can provide. The Tilt KidChair was developed after Hope Haven leaders witnessed that need during a wheelchair distribution trip in Kenya in 2024.

Working with Double HH Manufacturing, Hope Haven adapted the original design by developing seven new parts and updating portions of the frame and assembly process. The result preserves many of the durable, adjustable, and serviceable features of the original KidChair while providing greater support for children with more complex positioning needs.

The Tilt KidChair includes tilt-in-space positioning to help:

Relieve pressure
Improve comfort
Support head and trunk alignment
Assist with muscle tone and spasticity management
Accommodate changing needs throughout the day

The first Tilt KidChairs were fitted for children in Costa Rica and Thailand in early 2026, marking the next step in Hope Haven’s ongoing commitment to adapting the KidChair program as needs continue to grow and change.

A Chair That Can Grow With the Child

Children grow quickly, but access to a replacement wheelchair is not guaranteed.

The KidChair's adjustable, modular design allows components to be repositioned or modified as a child's size and needs change. This helps extend the useful life of the wheelchair and reduces the likelihood that a child will quickly outgrow the support it provides.

Because the chair can be adjusted using common tools, trained local partners and caregivers may also be better equipped to maintain the chair over time.

The Hope Haven Tilt KidChair

Some children require more advanced positioning and pressure relief than the original Hope Haven KidChair can provide. The Tilt KidChair was developed after Hope Haven leaders witnessed that need during a wheelchair distribution trip in Kenya in 2024.

Working with Double HH Manufacturing, Hope Haven adapted the original design by developing seven new parts and updating portions of the frame and assembly process. The result preserves many of the durable, adjustable, and serviceable features of the original KidChair while providing greater support for children with more complex positioning needs.

The Tilt KidChair includes tilt-in-space positioning to help:

Relieve pressure
Improve comfort
Support head and trunk alignment
Assist with muscle tone and spasticity management
Accommodate changing needs throughout the day

The first Tilt KidChairs were fitted for children in Costa Rica and Thailand in early 2026, marking the next step in Hope Haven’s ongoing commitment to adapting the KidChair program as needs continue to grow and change.

From Construction to Custom Fitting

Every KidChair passes through many hands before reaching a child.

1

Components Are Manufactured

KidChair parts are manufactured and prepared for assembly using a modular, no-weld design.

2

Volunteers Help Assemble the Chair

Hope Haven volunteers help prepare components, assemble wheelchairs, organize parts, and ready equipment for shipment.

3

Chairs Are Shipped to Trusted Partners

KidChairs are sent to established international partners who help identify children in need and coordinate distributions.

4

Each Child Is Evaluated

During a wheelchair distribution, trained therapists, rehabilitation specialists, and fitting team members assess the child's needs.

5

The Chair Is Individually Fitted

The KidChair is adjusted to provide appropriate positioning, comfort, and support.

6

Caregivers Receive Education

Whenever possible, caregivers are shown how to safely use, maintain, and adjust the chair.

This combination of durable equipment, individualized fitting, and caregiver education helps create a more sustainable outcome.

From Construction to Custom Fitting

Every KidChair passes through many hands before reaching a child.

1

Components Are Manufactured

KidChair parts are manufactured and prepared for assembly using a modular, no-weld design.

2

Volunteers Help Assemble the Chair

Hope Haven volunteers help prepare components, assemble wheelchairs, organize parts, and ready equipment for shipment.

3

Chairs Are Shipped to Trusted Partners

KidChairs are sent to established international partners who help identify children in need and coordinate distributions.

4

Each Child Is Evaluated

During a wheelchair distribution, trained therapists, rehabilitation specialists, and fitting team members assess the child's needs.

5

The Chair Is Individually Fitted

The KidChair is adjusted to provide appropriate positioning, comfort, and support.

6

Caregivers Receive Education

Whenever possible, caregivers are shown how to safely use, maintain, and adjust the chair.

This combination of durable equipment, individualized fitting, and caregiver education helps create a more sustainable outcome.

Impact Story

Esther

Seven-year-old Esther was among the first children in South Sudan to receive a Hope Haven wheelchair

after mobility equipment was transported across the border from Uganda. For Esther and her mother,

Awata, her new wheelchair means more opportunities to visit neighbors, attend church, and experience life

together in their community.

Impact Story

Esther

Seven-year-old Esther was among the first children in South Sudan to receive a Hope Haven wheelchair after mobility equipment was transported across the border from Uganda. For Esther and her mother, Awata, her new wheelchair means more opportunities to visit neighbors, attend church, and experience life together in their community.

More Than a Wheelchair

A properly fitted KidChair can open doors that were previously closed. It may allow a child to:

Sit upright with greater comfort
Participate in family and community activities
Experience greater safety and independence

Attend school
Reduce the strain placed on caregivers

Eat and communicate more easily

Help Provide a KidChair

Your support can help Hope Haven manufacture, ship, and individually fit KidChairs for

children around the world.

Whether you sponsor a chair, volunteer in a wheelchair workshop, support a shipment, or join a distribution team, you become part of a child's journey toward greater mobility and

opportunity.

Availability Notice

Hope Haven KidChairs are provided exclusively through international distribution efforts and in cooperation with approved international relief and partner organizations. KidChairs are not available for distribution within the United States.

More Than a Wheelchair

A properly fitted KidChair can open doors that were previously closed. It may allow a child to:

Sit upright with greater comfort
Participate in family and community activities

Attend school
Reduce the strain placed on caregivers

Eat and communicate more easily
Experience greater safety and independence

Help Provide a KidChair

Your support can help Hope Haven manufacture, ship, and individually fit KidChairs for

children around the world.

Whether you sponsor a chair, volunteer in a wheelchair workshop, support a shipment, or join a

distribution team, you become part of a child's journey toward greater mobility and

opportunity.

Sponsor a KidChair

Learn How It Works

Availability Notice

Hope Haven KidChairs are provided exclusively through international distribution efforts and in cooperation with approved international relief and partner organizations. KidChairs are not available for distribution within the United States.

Frequently Asked Questions

What ages is the KidChair designed for?

The KidChair is designed for children who need pediatric mobility and postural support. The appropriate chair size and configuration are based on the child's measurements, weight, positioning needs, and overall physical condition rather than age alone.

Is every KidChair customized?

Each KidChair is adjustable and is individually configured by trained team members whenever possible. Components such as the seat, foot support, hip guides, harness, tray, and postural supports can be modified to meet the child's needs.

Can the KidChair be adjusted as a child grows?

Yes. Its modular construction allows many components to be repositioned or replaced as a child grows or their needs change.

Is the KidChair designed for uneven terrain?

Yes. The KidChair is designed to withstand demanding conditions, including uneven sidewalks and unpaved roads.

What is the difference between the KidChair and Tilt KidChair?

The standard KidChair provides adjustable pediatric mobility and postural support. The Tilt KidChair adds tilt-in-space positioning for children who require additional pressure relief, head and trunk support, or more complex positioning.

Can someone request a KidChair directly?

Wheelchairs are generally provided through Hope Haven's established international partner organizations and distribution programs.