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

Childhood Cancer Lantern
Search Saved

The National Children's Cancer Society

Emergency Assistance Fund · About this organization

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.

How to start

Your social worker writes the letter confirming the hospital stay or relocation. Fill in and sign pages 2–5, then email or fax them with that letter and your account statements.

Good to know

  • 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.

The details, as published

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

Provides up to $300 per year for eligible families when the child was inpatient or relocated away from home for treatment for 30 consecutive days within the past 90 days. Uses include housing, utilities, childcare, insurance premiums, car expenses, meals away from home, prescriptions, and parking.

Go to the official program ↗

What help you may get

Childcare

Emergency Assistance Fund — childcare

Provides up to $300 per year for eligible families when the child was inpatient or relocated away from home for treatment for 30 consecutive days within the past 90 days. Uses include housing, utilities, childcare, insurance premiums, car expenses, meals away from home, prescriptions, and parking.

Amount not published · Once Per 12 Months

Can cover

  • Car expenses
  • Car expenses and parking
  • Childcare
  • Health insurance premiums
  • Health-insurance premiums
  • Meals away from home
  • Mortgage or rent
  • Parking
  • Prescriptions
  • Utilities
  • Utility payments
  • The program provides $300 in emergency assistance per year.

Household Bills And Cash Assistance

Emergency Assistance Fund — household bills and cash assistance

Provides up to $300 per year for eligible families when the child was inpatient or relocated away from home for treatment for 30 consecutive days within the past 90 days. Uses include housing, utilities, childcare, insurance premiums, car expenses, meals away from home, prescriptions, and parking.

Amount not published · Once Per 12 Months

Can cover

  • Car expenses
  • Car expenses and parking
  • Childcare
  • Health insurance premiums
  • Health-insurance premiums
  • Meals away from home
  • Mortgage or rent
  • Parking
  • Prescriptions
  • Utilities
  • Utility payments
  • The program provides $300 in emergency assistance per year.

Meals And Food

Emergency Assistance Fund — meals and food

Provides up to $300 per year for eligible families when the child was inpatient or relocated away from home for treatment for 30 consecutive days within the past 90 days. Uses include housing, utilities, childcare, insurance premiums, car expenses, meals away from home, prescriptions, and parking.

Amount not published · Once Per 12 Months

Can cover

  • Car expenses
  • Car expenses and parking
  • Childcare
  • Health insurance premiums
  • Health-insurance premiums
  • Meals away from home
  • Mortgage or rent
  • Parking
  • Prescriptions
  • Utilities
  • Utility payments
  • The program provides $300 in emergency assistance per year.

Medical And Insurance Costs

Emergency Assistance Fund — medical and insurance costs

Provides up to $300 per year for eligible families when the child was inpatient or relocated away from home for treatment for 30 consecutive days within the past 90 days. Uses include housing, utilities, childcare, insurance premiums, car expenses, meals away from home, prescriptions, and parking.

Amount not published · Once Per 12 Months

Can cover

  • Car expenses
  • Car expenses and parking
  • Childcare
  • Health insurance premiums
  • Health-insurance premiums
  • Meals away from home
  • Mortgage or rent
  • Parking
  • Prescriptions
  • Utilities
  • Utility payments
  • The program provides $300 in emergency assistance per year.

Travel And Transportation

Emergency Assistance Fund — travel and transportation

Provides up to $300 per year for eligible families when the child was inpatient or relocated away from home for treatment for 30 consecutive days within the past 90 days. Uses include housing, utilities, childcare, insurance premiums, car expenses, meals away from home, prescriptions, and parking.

Amount not published · Once Per 12 Months

Can cover

  • Car expenses
  • Car expenses and parking
  • Childcare
  • Health insurance premiums
  • Health-insurance premiums
  • Meals away from home
  • Mortgage or rent
  • Parking
  • Prescriptions
  • Utilities
  • Utility payments
  • The program provides $300 in emergency assistance per year.
Shared limits:
  • The published monetary limit is shared across the listed benefit components.

Why this may help

Childcare: Childcare can be included among emergency costs during your child's care.

Meals And Food: Meals away from home can be included in an emergency request.

Medical And Insurance Costs: Health-insurance premiums and prescriptions are among the emergency expenses considered.

Travel And Transportation: Car expenses and parking can be included alongside household and medical costs.

Check the main eligibility rules

Diagnosis

B-ALL is in scope. Childhood B-ALL falls within NCCS's pediatric-cancer scope, subject to offering-specific age, status, and financial rules.

Age

Age 0 to age 20.

  • Diagnosis must have occurred on or before the 18th birthday; treatment must occur before the 21st birthday.

Treatment status

No specific treatment status is published.

  • A provider must verify the patient or diagnosis.
  • U.S. citizen; or
  • U.S. resident with an I-551 card for 12 months without prior history of the current illness.

Financial need is required.

  • No income ceiling is published on the official page.

Where you live and where your child is treated

Where your family lives

No residence restriction is published.

  • The child must be a U.S. citizen, or have resided in the United States with an I-551 card for 12 months without a prior history of the current illness.

Where your child is treated

No treatment-location restriction is published.

How to get started

Get ready to apply

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

  1. Complete the current English or Spanish financial application and hospital documentation.
  2. Confirm the 30-consecutive-day inpatient or relocation condition occurred within the past 90 days.
  3. Confirm Transportation Assistance Fund eligibility.
  4. Download and complete the emergency-assistance application.

Ways to apply or ask

Documents to prepare

  • Evidence required by the application for diagnosis, residency, financial eligibility, and the 30-day inpatient or relocation condition
  • Confirm current payment mechanics in the application.

Availability and timing

ProgramActive
ApplicationsOpen
Funding or spaceNot Published
Application windowRolling
Last checkedAug 27, 2026
  • No decision timetable is published on the main program page.

Limitations and things to confirm

  • Subject to funds and case-by-case review.
  • The 30-consecutive-day inpatient or relocation condition is mandatory.
  • The annual benefit is $300.
  • The guardian must have less than $5,000 in readily accessible bank accounts.
  • Uses the current 30-day rule; an older unlinked Spanish PDF's 15-day rule is stale.
  • Confirm current capacity, next-cycle terms, and language/accessibility details.

Official sources

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

Official program