Baby Sharon Fund
Catastrophic Illness Grant Program · About this organization
What you get
Help with travel, lodging, foreclosure or utility shutoff prevention, equipment, services and other illness costs so you can stay at your child's bedside. The amount isn't published. Ask.
How to start
Your social worker sends the referral.
Good to know
- Vehicle purchase or repair has a $5,000 family annual ceiling and a separate program-wide fiscal-year ceiling.
- Awards are discretionary and subject to available funds.
The details, as published
The Baby Sharon Fund helps families of children with serious or catastrophic illnesses pay selected nonmedical expenses and obtain needed resources or equipment. A hospital social worker or other medical professional submits the request, and approved payments go to agencies or service providers rather than directly to the family. Assistance is reviewed case by case, generally at a monthly council meeting, and depends on family need and available funds.
What help you may get
Household Bills And Cash Assistance
Catastrophic Illness Grant Program — household bills and cash assistance
The Baby Sharon Fund helps families of children with serious or catastrophic illnesses pay selected nonmedical expenses and obtain needed resources or equipment. A hospital social worker or other medical professional submits the request, and approved payments go to agencies or service providers rather than directly to the family. Assistance is reviewed case by case, generally at a monthly council meeting, and depends on family need and available funds.
Amount not published
Can cover
- Current transportation needs
- Foreclosure prevention
- Lodging or other help that permits a parent or guardian to remain at the child's bedside
- Other added hardship caused by a long admission, transplant, or comparable treatment burden
- Resources, equipment, and services associated with the child's illness
- Utility shutoff prevention
Does not cover
- Cash payments directly to a family
- Funeral expenses
- The published $5,000 annual family ceiling applies only to vehicle purchase or repair; maximums for other assistance are not published.
- Vehicle-purchase and repair awards are also subject to a $15,000 program-wide fiscal-year ceiling.
- The guidelines permit no more than two applications for a child in a fiscal year.
Lodging Near Treatment
Catastrophic Illness Grant Program — lodging near treatment
The Baby Sharon Fund helps families of children with serious or catastrophic illnesses pay selected nonmedical expenses and obtain needed resources or equipment. A hospital social worker or other medical professional submits the request, and approved payments go to agencies or service providers rather than directly to the family. Assistance is reviewed case by case, generally at a monthly council meeting, and depends on family need and available funds.
Amount not published
Can cover
- Current transportation needs
- Foreclosure prevention
- Lodging or other help that permits a parent or guardian to remain at the child's bedside
- Other added hardship caused by a long admission, transplant, or comparable treatment burden
- Resources, equipment, and services associated with the child's illness
- Utility shutoff prevention
Does not cover
- Cash payments directly to a family
- Funeral expenses
- The published $5,000 annual family ceiling applies only to vehicle purchase or repair; maximums for other assistance are not published.
- Vehicle-purchase and repair awards are also subject to a $15,000 program-wide fiscal-year ceiling.
- The guidelines permit no more than two applications for a child in a fiscal year.
Practical Items And Home Help
Catastrophic Illness Grant Program — practical items and home help
The Baby Sharon Fund helps families of children with serious or catastrophic illnesses pay selected nonmedical expenses and obtain needed resources or equipment. A hospital social worker or other medical professional submits the request, and approved payments go to agencies or service providers rather than directly to the family. Assistance is reviewed case by case, generally at a monthly council meeting, and depends on family need and available funds.
Amount not published
Can cover
- Current transportation needs
- Foreclosure prevention
- Lodging or other help that permits a parent or guardian to remain at the child's bedside
- Other added hardship caused by a long admission, transplant, or comparable treatment burden
- Resources, equipment, and services associated with the child's illness
- Utility shutoff prevention
Does not cover
- Cash payments directly to a family
- Funeral expenses
- The published $5,000 annual family ceiling applies only to vehicle purchase or repair; maximums for other assistance are not published.
- Vehicle-purchase and repair awards are also subject to a $15,000 program-wide fiscal-year ceiling.
- The guidelines permit no more than two applications for a child in a fiscal year.
Travel And Transportation
Catastrophic Illness Grant Program — travel and transportation
The Baby Sharon Fund helps families of children with serious or catastrophic illnesses pay selected nonmedical expenses and obtain needed resources or equipment. A hospital social worker or other medical professional submits the request, and approved payments go to agencies or service providers rather than directly to the family. Assistance is reviewed case by case, generally at a monthly council meeting, and depends on family need and available funds.
Amount not published
Can cover
- Current transportation needs
- Foreclosure prevention
- Lodging or other help that permits a parent or guardian to remain at the child's bedside
- Other added hardship caused by a long admission, transplant, or comparable treatment burden
- Resources, equipment, and services associated with the child's illness
- Utility shutoff prevention
Does not cover
- Cash payments directly to a family
- Funeral expenses
- The published $5,000 annual family ceiling applies only to vehicle purchase or repair; maximums for other assistance are not published.
- Vehicle-purchase and repair awards are also subject to a $15,000 program-wide fiscal-year ceiling.
- The guidelines permit no more than two applications for a child in a fiscal year.
Check the main eligibility rules
Diagnosis
B-ALL is in scope. Pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a life-threatening illness that can meet the program's catastrophic-illness standard when the other Arkansas physician, age, need, and application rules are satisfied.
Age
Age 0 to age 17, measured at application.
- A person whose treatment began before age 18 may remain eligible when that treatment continues after the eighteenth birthday.
Treatment status
No specific treatment status is published.
- A provider must verify the patient or diagnosis.
- A hospital social worker or other medical professional must prepare and submit the request.
- An Arkansas physician must direct or supervise the child's care.
Financial need is required.
- The guidelines require consideration of family need but publish no numeric income ceiling.
- Awards depend on demonstrated family need and available program funds.
Where you live and where your child is treated
Where your family lives
You must live in: AR.
- Most recipients are Arkansas residents receiving care at an Arkansas hospital.
Where your child is treated
Treatment must be connected to: An out-of-state child may be considered when an Arkansas physician supervises the case and the needed treatment is unavailable in Arkansas.; The child must be under the care of an Arkansas physician..
- An out-of-state child may be considered when an Arkansas physician supervises the case and the needed treatment is unavailable in Arkansas.
- The child must be under the care of an Arkansas physician.
How to get started
Set up the ask for my social worker
Does a social worker or care team need to start it? Yes. Ask your child’s social worker or care team to begin the request.
Who can start: Caregiver, Parent Or Guardian, Patient, Healthcare Team, Social Worker
- Ask hospital Social Work or a medical professional to review the need.
- Prepare the case through the hospital's unpublished internal process.
- Present the case to the Council.
- If approved, release funds through an intermediary directly to the provider.
Ways to apply or ask
- Hospital Workflow · Open form or page — Start with hospital Social Work or a trusted medical professional; no public application form is published.
Documents to prepare
The program does not publish a document checklist. Ask before gathering paperwork.
- The Council releases funds through ACH or another intermediary directly to the agency or service provider, never as cash to the family.
Availability and timing
| Program | Active |
|---|---|
| Applications | Not Published |
| Funding or space | Fund Dependent |
| Application window | Monthly Days |
| Last checked | Aug 24, 2026 |
- The official site published current request instructions and guidelines; every award remains subject to council review and available funds.
- Committee convenes on the fourth Tuesday monthly; hospital Social Work has current details.
Limitations and things to confirm
- A family cannot apply directly; a hospital social worker or medical professional must submit the request.
- Awards are discretionary and subject to available funds.
- No more than two applications may be submitted for a child in a fiscal year.
- Vehicle purchase or repair has a $5,000 family annual ceiling and a separate program-wide fiscal-year ceiling.
- Do any benefit-specific dollar limits besides the published vehicle limit apply?
- What is the current council cutoff date, how much funding remains, and which supporting documents must the hospital social worker submit?
- What internal questions, documents, signatures, deadlines, and receipt-confirmation steps does each hospital require?
Official sources
Program details were last verified Aug 24, 2026. Availability can change, so check the official program before applying.
- Social Work - Arkansas Children's · checked Aug 24, 2026
- Social Work - Arkansas Children's · checked Aug 23, 2026
- Guidelines - Baby Sharon Fund · checked Aug 24, 2026
- Guidelines - Baby Sharon Fund · checked Aug 23, 2026
- Request Assistance - Baby Sharon Fund · checked Aug 24, 2026
- Request Assistance - Baby Sharon Fund · checked Aug 23, 2026