DC Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation

Financial Assistance · About this organization

What you get

Up to $750 for living bills, car repairs, treatment travel, medical costs and other needs, plus up to $1,000 for funerals: $1,750 total per family per calendar year.

How to start

Your social worker fills in and emails the application with you. Give them bill or receipt copies and arrange the signatures on the treatment-information release.

Good to know

Financial assistance and funeral assistance have separate calendar-year caps and depend on funds.

The details, as published

B-ALL is in scope Open Care team starts the request

Up to $750 per family per calendar year, subject to available funds, for approved living, travel, medical, pharmacy, and other expenses.

Go to the official program ↗

What help you may get

Bereavement And Memorial Support

Financial Assistance — bereavement and memorial support

Up to $750 per family per calendar year, subject to available funds, for approved living, travel, medical, pharmacy, and other expenses.

Up to $1,000 · Once Per 12 Months

Can cover

Car repairs
Funeral expenses
Medical or pharmacy expenses
Other described need
Rent or mortgage
Treatment and doctor-visit travel
Utilities

Financial assistance is limited to $750 per family per calendar year; funeral assistance is limited to $1,000 per calendar year, and both may be requested in the same year.
A family may request one financial-assistance award and one funeral-assistance award in the same calendar year.

Household Bills And Cash Assistance

Financial Assistance — household bills and cash assistance

Up to $750 per family per calendar year, subject to available funds, for approved living, travel, medical, pharmacy, and other expenses.

Up to $1,000 · Once Per 12 Months

Can cover

Car repairs
Funeral expenses
Medical or pharmacy expenses
Other described need
Rent or mortgage
Treatment and doctor-visit travel
Utilities

Financial assistance is limited to $750 per family per calendar year; funeral assistance is limited to $1,000 per calendar year, and both may be requested in the same year.
A family may request one financial-assistance award and one funeral-assistance award in the same calendar year.

Medical And Insurance Costs

Financial Assistance — medical and insurance costs

Up to $750 per family per calendar year, subject to available funds, for approved living, travel, medical, pharmacy, and other expenses.

Up to $1,000 · Once Per 12 Months

Can cover

Car repairs
Funeral expenses
Medical or pharmacy expenses
Other described need
Rent or mortgage
Treatment and doctor-visit travel
Utilities

Financial assistance is limited to $750 per family per calendar year; funeral assistance is limited to $1,000 per calendar year, and both may be requested in the same year.
A family may request one financial-assistance award and one funeral-assistance award in the same calendar year.

Travel And Transportation

Financial Assistance — travel and transportation

Up to $750 per family per calendar year, subject to available funds, for approved living, travel, medical, pharmacy, and other expenses.

Up to $1,000 · Once Per 12 Months

Can cover

Car repairs
Funeral expenses
Medical or pharmacy expenses
Other described need
Rent or mortgage
Treatment and doctor-visit travel
Utilities

Financial assistance is limited to $750 per family per calendar year; funeral assistance is limited to $1,000 per calendar year, and both may be requested in the same year.
A family may request one financial-assistance award and one funeral-assistance award in the same calendar year.

Shared limits:

The published monetary limit is shared across the listed benefit components.

Why this may help

Bereavement And Memorial Support: Funeral expenses can be considered within the broader financial assistance.

Medical And Insurance Costs: Medical and pharmacy expenses are among the bills you can request help paying.

Travel And Transportation: Car repairs and travel for treatment or doctor visits can be considered for payment.

Check the main eligibility rules

Diagnosis

B-ALL is in scope. Pediatric B-ALL is childhood cancer within the organization’s scope, subject to the record-specific rules.

Age

Age 0 to age 20, measured at application.

The patient must be under 21.

Treatment status

Active Treatment, Bereavement

A provider must verify the patient or diagnosis.
A doctor or social worker signs the treatment-information release and application.
A social worker must submit the application.

Financial need is required.

No numerical income test is published; the application asks for the reason, amount, and substantiating bills.

Where you live and where your child is treated

Where your family lives

You must live in: 50-mile radius of Children’s National Medical Center; 50-mile radius of Georgetown University Hospital; 50-mile radius of Inova Fairfax Hospital; 50-mile radius of Johns Hopkins Hospital; 50-mile radius of the National Institutes of Health; 50-mile radius of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The child must live within 50 miles of one of the named centers, or meet the treatment-location route.

Where your child is treated

Treatment must be connected to: Children’s National Medical Center; Georgetown University Hospital; Inova Fairfax Hospital; Johns Hopkins Hospital; National Institutes of Health; Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The child may instead receive treatment within 50 miles of one of the named centers.

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: Social Worker

A doctor or social worker signs the treatment-information release.
A social worker completes the January 2026 Financial Assistance Application with the family.
Attach copies or photos of the bills or receipts supporting the request.
Follow the official page or contact DC Candlelighters for the published access route.
The social worker emails the packet to dccandlelighters@gmail.com.

Ways to apply or ask

Email · Open form or page · dccandlelighters@gmail.com — A social worker must submit the completed application and substantiating bills or receipts.

Documents to prepare

Completed 2026 Financial Assistance Application
Copies or photos of bills or substantiating receipts
Date of death for funeral assistance
Doctor or social-worker signature and treatment-information release

Funeral assistance is usually paid to the funeral home; the payment method for other approved bills is not fully published.

Availability and timing

Program	Active
Applications	Open
Funding or space	Not Published
Application window	Rolling
Last checked	Aug 24, 2026

Calendar-year benefit limits apply.
No processing lead time is published.

Limitations and things to confirm

A social worker must submit the request.
Do not infer eligibility, recurrence, capacity, or availability beyond the published record details.
Financial assistance and funeral assistance have separate calendar-year caps and depend on funds.
The family must meet the 50-mile residence or treatment rule.
The patient must be under 21 and within a published treatment status.

Confirm unpublished operational details.

Official sources

Program details were last verified Aug 24, 2026. Availability can change, so check the official program before applying.

Aid & Scholarships — DC Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation · checked Aug 27, 2026
Application for Financial Assistance — Revised January 2026 · checked Aug 27, 2026
Financial Assistance · checked Aug 24, 2026