THE FUNDING PROJECT • NATIONAL CHILDREN'S FINANCIAL ADVOCACY INITIATIVE

Childhood Cancer Funding Guide + Companion Workbook

Financial Advocacy for Families Facing Childhood Cancer

A childhood cancer diagnosis can change everything. Families may suddenly be facing treatment costs, travel, lodging, medication expenses, lost income, childcare needs, household bills, insurance questions, nutrition needs, emotional support needs, and an overwhelming amount of paperwork.

Family Resource LibraryChildhood Cancer Resources

Funding Guide + Companion Workbook
Coming Soon

A Place to Begin

The financial impact reaches far beyond medical bills.

Families need a way to see the full picture, identify what help is needed, and understand where they may be able to turn.

The Childhood Cancer Funding Guide is being created to bring funding ideas, support categories, questions to ask, and possible sources of help together in one substantial family resource.

It is designed to help parents understand funding possibilities, organize important information, ask for help, and take practical next steps during one of the most stressful seasons of their lives.

The Childhood Cancer Funding Guide

Support may come from many different places.

The Guide helps families look beyond one category of expense and explore the broader financial impact of childhood cancer.

  • Childhood cancer nonprofits and foundations
  • Hospital social work departments and treatment center resources
  • Disease specific organizations
  • Travel and lodging programs
  • Medication and treatment related assistance
  • Insurance related resources
  • Household assistance
  • Community funds and service organizations
  • Funding sources for larger needs
  • Programs that provide comfort, experiences, and meaningful support for children

More Than Medical Bills

Support can also mean comfort, movement, joy, and time together.

Financial advocacy is not only about paying a bill. A resource may help provide equipment, travel support, a meaningful experience, transportation, lodging, or something that helps a child feel like a child during treatment.

The Guide helps families think through the full financial picture and begin asking the right questions.

Inside the Guide

A substantial resource, not a simple handout.

The 13-step financial advocacy processIdentify the need, organize information, research possibilities, ask, follow up, and keep going.
Funding research and applicationsGuidance for researching funding sources, preparing applications, and understanding what a strong fit may look like.
Community supportCommunity fundraising, crowdfunding for larger or ongoing needs, service organizations, and Help Hope Live information.
Family stories and VoicesReal experiences and perspectives connected to childhood cancer and what support can make possible.

Childhood Cancer Companion Workbook

Keep important information together.

The Companion Workbook will give families a place to organize information that can quickly become scattered while managing treatment and everyday family life at the same time.

  • Appointments and treatment related expenses
  • Travel needs and lodging contacts
  • Financial assistance applications and hospital resources
  • Insurance notes and medication costs
  • Community referrals and household bills
  • Follow-up tasks and next steps

Voices

Stories of love, courage, funding, hope, and childhood cancer.

Some parts of the journey cannot be fully explained through instructions or funding source pages. They are better understood through people who have lived them, parents, families, professionals, and others who have walked beside children through treatment.

Authentic photographs and real people can be added to this section as the final Voices are approved. No generic childhood cancer stock photography will be used.

A Word on the Cover

Riley's story reminds us what support can mean.

Riley was eight years old and received an adaptive bike through Project Mobility during his cancer journey. His mother, Adrianna, later returned after Riley had passed away and shared what that bike had meant during his final year.

His story is a reminder that support is not always simply about paying a bill. Sometimes it gives a child movement, joy, comfort, an experience, or memories during an extraordinarily difficult time.

Coming Soon

Childhood Cancer Funding Guide + Companion Workbook

The full Childhood Cancer page is ready for the real covers when they are finalized. Download access and a Constant Contact notification signup can be connected here when the resources are ready for families.

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