Here to Serve prioritizes supporting families with a child or young parent battling cancer. Our determination of risk factors are:
- High risk (70% ) – Families or single parents who earn below $100,000 per year and $1 more than 138% of the poverty threshold, which denies government programs that assist with housing, food, child care, medical insurance, etc.
- Moderate risk (20% ) – Intact families with financial means above $100,000 but below $200,000, with two working spouses
- Low risk (10%) – Intact families who earn more than $200,000 per year, with two working spouses
- No risk (0%) – Intact families who earn more than $200,000 and one spouse at home.
Is your child, or a parent of a young child(ren), been recently diagnosed with cancer? Contact Us.
Childhood Cancer Families Need Our Help
Families should not have to lose their job, health, home, or enter into bankruptcy to care for their child or a parent of young children after a cancer diagnosis.
When a family receives the news of a cancer diagnosis of their child or young spouse, they instantly become overwhelmed by the diagnosis.
Families often think they can navigate this on their own with friends or family to help. What they don’t realize is this is a long journey and those same friends and family members, with the best intentions, often go back to their lives when support is needed most.
Here to Serve’s priority is to continually engage the family’s support network throughout the entire journey, providing resources and opportunities for friends and loved ones to address the family’s needs with the least amount of intrusion.
- There are no recognized support systems in place for families whose household incomes disqualify them from government aid.
- Help is required to address not only the needs of children battling with cancer but also young parents who receive a cancer diagnosis. The parent(s) left as the caregiver needs support.
- Parents suffer from increased stress and make substantial financial sacrifices during the length of their child or spouse’s treatment. Half reported that their own health had deteriorated since becoming caregivers.
In a study of 500 caregivers conducted by Family Caregiver Alliance, 90% found caregiving to be frustrating, draining, and painful. Childhood cancer families struggle on the pediatric cancer journey, so we’re here to help.
