When a child is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, parents often face two devastating battles at once: fighting for their child’s health while struggling to keep their family financially afloat. Hospital stays, lost income, mounting bills, and housing insecurity can quickly overwhelm even the most prepared families.
For the past 22 years, Autumn Strier has dedicated her career to making sure families don’t have to face those challenges alone.
As co-founder and CEO of Miracles for Kids, Strier has transformed what began in 2004 as a small employee-giving initiative into one of California’s leading nonprofits supporting families with critically ill children. Today, the organization serves hundreds of families each year by providing financial assistance, housing, mental health services, food, clothing, and long-term stability programs.
Since its founding, Miracles for Kids has raised nearly $65 million while creating a comprehensive support system for families navigating prolonged medical crises. Rather than focusing solely on a child’s medical treatment, the organization addresses the everyday challenges that can threaten a family’s stability, including rent, utility bills, transportation, employment disruption, and emotional well-being.
“At the heart of everything we do is a simple belief: families should be able to focus on their child’s healing, not on whether they can pay rent, keep their utilities connected, or provide basic necessities,” Strier said.
The nonprofit currently supports families affected by more than 135 life-threatening illnesses and conditions through several signature programs.
Its Lifeline program helps families pay essential household expenses, while the Safe Haven program offers housing assistance, including apartments at Miracle Manor properties for families undergoing treatment. The Balance program provides counseling, wellness activities, and stress-management services to support mental health, while the Boost program supplies food, clothing, household essentials, toys, and transportation assistance.
One of the organization’s newest initiatives, Pillars, reflects Strier’s long-term vision of helping families achieve financial independence. The program offers employment readiness, financial literacy education, career development resources, and educational opportunities so parents can rebuild stability while caring for their children.
The organization’s impact continues to grow. In 2025 alone, Miracles for Kids helped stabilize 550 families, provided more than 49,500 nights of safe housing, and delivered free wellness therapy services to nearly 500 individuals.
A graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, Strier brought experience in government, nonprofit management, municipal finance, and public policy to the organization she helped build.
Her mission remains unchanged: ensuring that no parent has to choose between caring for a critically ill child and keeping a roof over their family’s head. Through sustainable programs and community partnerships, Miracles for Kids continues to provide not only emergency assistance but also hope, stability, and a pathway toward a stronger future.