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

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New Jersey Department of Human Services

Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund · About this organization

What you get

Up to $100,000 per application for medical care, home health care, equipment, supplies, and medical travel.

How to start

Fill in the online application for a consecutive 12-month expense period, with income, insurance, fundraising, identity, and expense records.

Good to know

  • Only uncovered expenses not paid by insurance, government programs, fundraising, or another source are considered.
  • Every award is subject to Commission review, policy, reasonableness, and available funds.

The details, as published

B-ALL is in scope Open

New Jersey’s Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund reimburses or pays qualifying medical expenses for a child when uncovered expenses in a 12-month period exceed the program’s income-based threshold. All diagnoses are considered, including B-ALL, for expenses incurred before the child’s 22nd birthday and within the prior seven years, provided the family has been legally domiciled in New Jersey for at least three months. A parent or legal guardian applies online with income records, detailed bills, insurance explanations of benefits, and proof of payment when applicable.

Go to the official program ↗

What help you may get

Household Bills And Cash Assistance

Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund — household bills and cash assistance

New Jersey’s Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund reimburses or pays qualifying medical expenses for a child when uncovered expenses in a 12-month period exceed the program’s income-based threshold. All diagnoses are considered, including B-ALL, for expenses incurred before the child’s 22nd birthday and within the prior seven years, provided the family has been legally domiciled in New Jersey for at least three months. A parent or legal guardian applies online with income records, detailed bills, insurance explanations of benefits, and proof of payment when applicable.

Up to $100,000 · As Needed

Can cover

  • Acute and specialized inpatient and outpatient hospital care
  • Home health care
  • Medical equipment and disposable supplies
  • Medical transportation
  • Medically related home modifications
  • Modified vehicles
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Physician care
  • Therapies

Does not cover

  • Expenses incurred outside the United States
  • Future or not-yet-incurred expenses
  • Health-insurance premiums as a reimbursable expense
  • Lost wages
  • Rent or mortgage
  • Utilities
  • The FAQ states a $100,000 total award cap per application and a $25,000 home-modification cap; actual approved expenses are individually reviewed.
  • Multiple applications are permitted for non-overlapping 12-month periods that meet the rules and fall within the seven-year lookback.

Medical And Insurance Costs

Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund — medical and insurance costs

New Jersey’s Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund reimburses or pays qualifying medical expenses for a child when uncovered expenses in a 12-month period exceed the program’s income-based threshold. All diagnoses are considered, including B-ALL, for expenses incurred before the child’s 22nd birthday and within the prior seven years, provided the family has been legally domiciled in New Jersey for at least three months. A parent or legal guardian applies online with income records, detailed bills, insurance explanations of benefits, and proof of payment when applicable.

Up to $100,000 · As Needed

Can cover

  • Acute and specialized inpatient and outpatient hospital care
  • Home health care
  • Medical equipment and disposable supplies
  • Medical transportation
  • Medically related home modifications
  • Modified vehicles
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Physician care
  • Therapies

Does not cover

  • Expenses incurred outside the United States
  • Future or not-yet-incurred expenses
  • Health-insurance premiums as a reimbursable expense
  • Lost wages
  • Rent or mortgage
  • Utilities
  • The FAQ states a $100,000 total award cap per application and a $25,000 home-modification cap; actual approved expenses are individually reviewed.
  • Multiple applications are permitted for non-overlapping 12-month periods that meet the rules and fall within the seven-year lookback.

Travel And Transportation

Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund — travel and transportation

New Jersey’s Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund reimburses or pays qualifying medical expenses for a child when uncovered expenses in a 12-month period exceed the program’s income-based threshold. All diagnoses are considered, including B-ALL, for expenses incurred before the child’s 22nd birthday and within the prior seven years, provided the family has been legally domiciled in New Jersey for at least three months. A parent or legal guardian applies online with income records, detailed bills, insurance explanations of benefits, and proof of payment when applicable.

Up to $100,000 · As Needed

Can cover

  • Acute and specialized inpatient and outpatient hospital care
  • Home health care
  • Medical equipment and disposable supplies
  • Medical transportation
  • Medically related home modifications
  • Modified vehicles
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Physician care
  • Therapies

Does not cover

  • Expenses incurred outside the United States
  • Future or not-yet-incurred expenses
  • Health-insurance premiums as a reimbursable expense
  • Lost wages
  • Rent or mortgage
  • Utilities
  • The FAQ states a $100,000 total award cap per application and a $25,000 home-modification cap; actual approved expenses are individually reviewed.
  • Multiple applications are permitted for non-overlapping 12-month periods that meet the rules and fall within the seven-year lookback.
Shared limits:
  • The published monetary limit is shared across the listed benefit components.

Check the main eligibility rules

Diagnosis

B-ALL is in scope. The published program scope includes pediatric cancer or serious childhood illness, so pediatric B-ALL is within the diagnosis category.

Age

Age 0 to age 21, measured at treatment period.

  • Expenses must have been incurred before the child’s 22nd birthday; an older child may apply for those earlier expenses within the seven-year lookback.

Treatment status

No specific treatment status is published.

  • A provider must verify the patient or diagnosis.
  • The child must be a U.S. citizen, green-card holder, or have legal immigration status permitting New Jersey domicile.
  • The fund is payer of last resort; insurance and other available sources must be applied first.

Financial need is required.

  • In one 12-month period, eligible expenses must exceed 10% of the first $100,000 of family income plus 15% of income over $100,000.
  • There is no maximum household income.
  • Total family income during the selected consecutive 12-month expense period
  • Only uncovered expenses not paid by insurance, government programs, fundraising, or another source are considered.
  • The fund is not an entitlement and each application is subject to program policy and available funds.

Where you live and where your child is treated

Where your family lives

You must live in: NJ.

  • The child and family must be legally domiciled in New Jersey.
  • The family must have lived in New Jersey for at least three months immediately before applying.

Where your child is treated

No treatment-location restriction is published.

How to get started

Does a social worker or care team need to start it? No. A required care-team start is not published; the family can use the available route below.

Who can start: Parent Or Guardian, Patient

  1. Choose a consecutive 12-month period with enough qualifying expenses.
  2. Complete the online application.
  3. State staff verify the application and present eligible requests for Commission review.
  4. Submit income, residency, citizenship or immigration, insurance, fundraising, and expense documentation.

Ways to apply or ask

  • Online Portal · Open form or page — The official program page links this portal, but the audit client received HTTP 403.

Documents to prepare

  • Corresponding insurance Explanation of Benefits documents
  • Detailed itemized invoices with dates of service, services, and charges
  • Household income documentation for the selected 12-month period
  • Insurance, government-assistance, and fundraising information
  • Proofs of payment for reimbursed costs
  • Receipts and proof of payment for other purchases
  • Residency and legal-domicile documentation
  • The fund may reimburse paid out-of-pocket costs or pay outstanding approved balances directly to providers or vendors.

Availability and timing

ProgramActive
ApplicationsOpen
Funding or spaceFund Dependent
Application windowRolling
Last checkedAug 24, 2026
  • The official state site links to an active online application; the fund is not an entitlement and awards depend on current policy and available funds.
  • Applications cover an eligible 12-month expense period within the prior seven years.

Limitations and things to confirm

  • Every award is subject to Commission review, policy, reasonableness, and available funds.
  • New Jersey domicile, three-month residence, immigration-status, expense-age, lookback, threshold, and payer-of-last-resort rules apply.
  • The program is retrospective and does not preapprove future expenses.
  • What additional documentation will staff request for the family’s selected 12-month period?
  • What current average review time and Commission schedule apply to a new application?
  • Which B-ALL travel, lodging, home-care, or vehicle expenses will the Commission find reasonable in this case?

Official sources

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

Official program