Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

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The National Children's Cancer Society

Emergency Assistance Fund

What you get

Up to $300 per year for car costs, parking, childcare, health-insurance premiums, meals away from home, rent or mortgage, prescriptions, and utilities. Open now.

Who starts it
You, with a letter from your social worker
How it’s sent
Email to pfs@theNCCS.org
Your time
About 15 minutes, plus waiting for the letter
Last checked
Aug 27, 2026

Before you start, check you fit

  • Your child is 20 or under.
  • Your child needs 30 consecutive days in hospital or away from home for treatment within the past 90 days.
  • You must have less than $5,000 in easily accessible accounts.

  1. Ask your social worker for the letterStart here. This is the part that takes the longest.

    The National Children's Cancer Society needs a letter from your social worker. It has to cover 5 things. Copy this message, or say it in person at the next visit.

    Hi [social worker’s name],

We’d like to apply to The National Children's Cancer Society’s Emergency Assistance Fund. They offer up to $300 per year for car costs, parking, childcare, health-insurance premiums, meals away from home, rent or mortgage, prescriptions, and utilities, and they are taking applications now.

They need a letter from you. It has to cover [child’s name]’s diagnosis, our family situation, treatment plan for next 60 days, assistance requested, and qualifying 30-day inpatient stay or relocation dates. Their form and instructions are here: https://thenccs.org/financial-assistance/

Could you write that when you have a chance? I’ll bring the printed form to our next visit, or I can email it. Thank you for everything you do for us.

[your name] · [phone]
    Copying is the only thing this page does with your text. Nothing is saved.

  2. Fill in their formPrint it, or fill it in on screen if the PDF allows.

    Open the application PDF ↗ Checked Aug 27, 2026

    What the form asks for

    Emergency eligibility
    Patient Name (first, middle, last)DiagnosisEligibility Confirmation (Please select one.)Checking/savings and other easily accessible accounts
    Assistance request
    How you will utilize the assistanceHow this assistance will help your family
    Release and affirmation
    Parent/Guardian Signature

    Have ready

    • Most recent statements for all checking, savings, and child fundraising accounts.
    • Copy of the bill when Emergency Assistance will pay a mortgage, rent, utility, childcare, premium, car, or treatment-related bill.

  3. Email your application and the letter togetherTo pfs@theNCCS.org.

    • Email the completed signed application and attachments to pfs@theNCCS.org or fax to 314-735-2014.

    Email: pfs@theNCCS.org

    Fax: 314-735-2014

    Subject: Emergency Assistance Fund application, [child’s name]

Hello,

Attached are our completed application and the letter from [social worker’s name] at [hospital]. Please let me know that it arrived and if anything is missing.

Thank you,
[your name] · [phone]

After you send

A case manager will call after the application is received and processed; NCCS can speak only with signing parent(s) or guardian(s). If you have not heard back in two weeks, write and ask whether it arrived.

Full record, as published