Friends of Karen
Family Social Work and Financial Support · About this organization
What you get
Help with childcare, copays, coinsurance, food, gifts, hospital lodging, phone, rent, travel, utilities, and finding other resources, plus emotional help. The amount isn’t published. Ask.
How to start
Your hospital social worker refers you. You call Family Support for the assessment, then fill in the private application and supply the requested medical and financial details.
Good to know
- The 12-month pre-diagnosis residency rule is a hard geographic filter.
- Your child must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
The details, as published
Friends of Karen assigns individualized family support and may provide financial, practical, emotional, and navigation help to eligible tri-state families. The child must be a newborn through age 21, actively in treatment, meet citizenship or lawful-resident rules, and satisfy the published 12-month pre-diagnosis local-residence rule. A hospital social worker usually refers the family, and the parent or guardian completes a required private telephone intake.
What help you may get
Childcare
Family Social Work and Financial Support — childcare
Friends of Karen assigns individualized family support and may provide financial, practical, emotional, and navigation help to eligible tri-state families. The child must be a newborn through age 21, actively in treatment, meet citizenship or lawful-resident rules, and satisfy the published 12-month pre-diagnosis local-residence rule. A hospital social worker usually refers the family, and the parent or guardian completes a required private telephone intake.
Amount decided by the program · As Needed
Can cover
- Advocacy and help applying for other resources
- Childcare
- Coinsurance
- Copayments
- Food
- Holiday, birthday, and back-to-school gifts
- Hospital lodging
- Phone
- Rent
- Travel
- Utilities
- Support is individualized; no public award ceiling is stated.
- Services are tailored to the family's assessed needs.
Household Bills And Cash Assistance
Family Social Work and Financial Support — household bills and cash assistance
Friends of Karen assigns individualized family support and may provide financial, practical, emotional, and navigation help to eligible tri-state families. The child must be a newborn through age 21, actively in treatment, meet citizenship or lawful-resident rules, and satisfy the published 12-month pre-diagnosis local-residence rule. A hospital social worker usually refers the family, and the parent or guardian completes a required private telephone intake.
Amount decided by the program · As Needed
Can cover
- Advocacy and help applying for other resources
- Childcare
- Coinsurance
- Copayments
- Food
- Holiday, birthday, and back-to-school gifts
- Hospital lodging
- Phone
- Rent
- Travel
- Utilities
- Support is individualized; no public award ceiling is stated.
- Services are tailored to the family's assessed needs.
Lodging Near Treatment
Family Social Work and Financial Support — lodging near treatment
Friends of Karen assigns individualized family support and may provide financial, practical, emotional, and navigation help to eligible tri-state families. The child must be a newborn through age 21, actively in treatment, meet citizenship or lawful-resident rules, and satisfy the published 12-month pre-diagnosis local-residence rule. A hospital social worker usually refers the family, and the parent or guardian completes a required private telephone intake.
Amount decided by the program · As Needed
Can cover
- Advocacy and help applying for other resources
- Childcare
- Coinsurance
- Copayments
- Food
- Holiday, birthday, and back-to-school gifts
- Hospital lodging
- Phone
- Rent
- Travel
- Utilities
- Support is individualized; no public award ceiling is stated.
- Services are tailored to the family's assessed needs.
Meals And Food
Family Social Work and Financial Support — meals and food
Friends of Karen assigns individualized family support and may provide financial, practical, emotional, and navigation help to eligible tri-state families. The child must be a newborn through age 21, actively in treatment, meet citizenship or lawful-resident rules, and satisfy the published 12-month pre-diagnosis local-residence rule. A hospital social worker usually refers the family, and the parent or guardian completes a required private telephone intake.
Amount decided by the program · As Needed
Can cover
- Advocacy and help applying for other resources
- Childcare
- Coinsurance
- Copayments
- Food
- Holiday, birthday, and back-to-school gifts
- Hospital lodging
- Phone
- Rent
- Travel
- Utilities
- Support is individualized; no public award ceiling is stated.
- Services are tailored to the family's assessed needs.
Medical And Insurance Costs
Family Social Work and Financial Support — medical and insurance costs
Friends of Karen assigns individualized family support and may provide financial, practical, emotional, and navigation help to eligible tri-state families. The child must be a newborn through age 21, actively in treatment, meet citizenship or lawful-resident rules, and satisfy the published 12-month pre-diagnosis local-residence rule. A hospital social worker usually refers the family, and the parent or guardian completes a required private telephone intake.
Amount decided by the program · As Needed
Can cover
- Advocacy and help applying for other resources
- Childcare
- Coinsurance
- Copayments
- Food
- Holiday, birthday, and back-to-school gifts
- Hospital lodging
- Phone
- Rent
- Travel
- Utilities
- Support is individualized; no public award ceiling is stated.
- Services are tailored to the family's assessed needs.
Navigation Guides And Advocacy
Family Social Work and Financial Support — navigation guides and advocacy
Friends of Karen assigns individualized family support and may provide financial, practical, emotional, and navigation help to eligible tri-state families. The child must be a newborn through age 21, actively in treatment, meet citizenship or lawful-resident rules, and satisfy the published 12-month pre-diagnosis local-residence rule. A hospital social worker usually refers the family, and the parent or guardian completes a required private telephone intake.
Amount decided by the program · As Needed
Can cover
- Advocacy and help applying for other resources
- Childcare
- Coinsurance
- Copayments
- Food
- Holiday, birthday, and back-to-school gifts
- Hospital lodging
- Phone
- Rent
- Travel
- Utilities
- Support is individualized; no public award ceiling is stated.
- Services are tailored to the family's assessed needs.
Practical Items And Home Help
Family Social Work and Financial Support — practical items and home help
Friends of Karen assigns individualized family support and may provide financial, practical, emotional, and navigation help to eligible tri-state families. The child must be a newborn through age 21, actively in treatment, meet citizenship or lawful-resident rules, and satisfy the published 12-month pre-diagnosis local-residence rule. A hospital social worker usually refers the family, and the parent or guardian completes a required private telephone intake.
Amount decided by the program · As Needed
Can cover
- Advocacy and help applying for other resources
- Childcare
- Coinsurance
- Copayments
- Food
- Holiday, birthday, and back-to-school gifts
- Hospital lodging
- Phone
- Rent
- Travel
- Utilities
- Support is individualized; no public award ceiling is stated.
- Services are tailored to the family's assessed needs.
Travel And Transportation
Family Social Work and Financial Support — travel and transportation
Friends of Karen assigns individualized family support and may provide financial, practical, emotional, and navigation help to eligible tri-state families. The child must be a newborn through age 21, actively in treatment, meet citizenship or lawful-resident rules, and satisfy the published 12-month pre-diagnosis local-residence rule. A hospital social worker usually refers the family, and the parent or guardian completes a required private telephone intake.
Amount decided by the program · As Needed
Can cover
- Advocacy and help applying for other resources
- Childcare
- Coinsurance
- Copayments
- Food
- Holiday, birthday, and back-to-school gifts
- Hospital lodging
- Phone
- Rent
- Travel
- Utilities
- Support is individualized; no public award ceiling is stated.
- Services are tailored to the family's assessed needs.
- The published monetary limit is shared across the listed benefit components.
Why this may help
Childcare: Childcare help is included alongside bills and emotional care.
Lodging Near Treatment: Hospital lodging is one of the expenses the family help can cover.
Meals And Food: Food costs can be covered alongside rent, utilities, and other bills.
Medical And Insurance Costs: Copays and coinsurance are included with the everyday expense help.
Travel And Transportation: Treatment travel can be included alongside hospital lodging and other bills.
Check the main eligibility rules
Diagnosis
B-ALL is in scope. The program accepts actively treated childhood cancer, including B-ALL.
Age
Age 0 to age 21, measured at application.
- The program serves newborns through age 21.
Treatment status
Active Treatment
- A provider must verify the patient or diagnosis.
- The child must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
Financial need is required.
- Financial assistance is tailored to hardship caused by the child's illness; no numeric income threshold is published.
- Household aid is described for families experiencing financial hardship, such as lost parental income without other resources.
Where you live and where your child is treated
Where your family lives
You must live in: Published Connecticut counties; Published New Jersey counties; Published New York counties and New York City.
- The family must have lived in an eligible borough or county for at least 12 months before the child's diagnosis.
- The tri-state program publishes eligible boroughs and counties in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York plus a 12-month pre-diagnosis residence rule. State matches still require local confirmation.
Where your child is treated
Treatment-location rules are not published clearly; confirm with the program.
- Eligible localities are New York City; Nassau and Suffolk; Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester; Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union; and Fairfield, Middlesex and New Haven, with 12 months' residence before diagnosis.
How to get started
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: Parent Or Guardian
- A parent or guardian calls the Family Support team.
- Ask the hospital social worker to refer the family.
- Call the English or Spanish Family Support intake number and complete the private family interview.
- Complete the family's needs assessment and provide requested clinical and financial information.
- Confirm the child, active-treatment, citizenship, and 12-month local residency rules.
- Work with the assigned team on an individualized support plan.
Ways to apply or ask
- Online Portal · Open form or page
- Phone · 914-617-4057 — Parent or guardian must call the Family Support team; Spanish service is available at 914-617-4045.
Documents to prepare
The program does not publish a document checklist. Ask before gathering paperwork.
- Financial and in-kind assistance is tailored after assessment; payment method varies by need.
Availability and timing
| Program | Active |
|---|---|
| Applications | Open |
| Funding or space | Fund Dependent |
| Application window | Call First |
| Last checked | Aug 24, 2026 |
- The official 2026 site describes active intake by phone.
- Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
- No fixed decision time is published.
Limitations and things to confirm
- Award amounts are not published.
- Only listed boroughs and counties qualify.
- The 12-month pre-diagnosis residency rule is a hard geographic filter.
- The child must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
- Current financial caps, expense categories, decision timing, and application documents are not published.
Official sources
Program details were last verified Aug 24, 2026. Availability can change, so check the official program before applying.
- Family Support Program - Friends of Karen · checked Aug 22, 2026
- Who We Serve - Friends of Karen · checked Aug 22, 2026
- Family Social Work and Financial Support · checked Aug 24, 2026
- Bereavement Support · checked Aug 24, 2026