Every day, families across Canada are forced to make unimaginable decisions in the face of a childhood cancer diagnosis: stepping away from work, travelling long distances for treatment, managing financial strain, navigating emotional trauma, and advocating for their child’s care, often all at once.
Yet, Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, caregiver leave, and financial protections were not designed with childhood cancer in mind. Families are falling through the cracks in the moments they need help most.
Childhood cancer should not push families into financial crisis.
Join Childhood Cancer Canada (CCC) in calling on the federal government to strengthen financial and caregiving supports for families affected by childhood cancer.
Childhood Cancer Canada is asking the federal government for $15 million over four years to create a National Family Support Program for children and families affected by childhood cancer. The funding would help provide immediate support to approximately 925 families to cover essential non-medical costs such as household bills, travel to treatment, medication, accommodation, childcare and end-of-life expenses.
When families are focused on their child’s care, financial support can help ease some of the additional pressures that come with a childhood cancer diagnosis.
Many parents and caregivers may have to stop working, reduce their hours, or take extended leave to get a child to treatment or manage their care at home. Childhood Cancer Canada is calling for a refundable tax credit to ease the financial strain of caregiving and provide the stability at child needs throughout their cancer journey.
A refundable tax credit would provide financial relief so they can focus on the most important thing: their child’s health and wellbeing.
Childhood cancer treatment can involve repeated travel, long hospital stays, and months or years of caregiving. The average childhood cancer treatment journey is approximately three years, but existing benefits and tax measures do not adequately reflect those circumstances, particularly when treatment is prolonged, a child relapses, or the family continues to face medical expenses after active treatment.
Childhood Cancer Canada is asking the federal government to extend caregiver leave to 52 weeks, make the benefits renewable in case of relapse, extend the coverage to include freelance/self-employed workers, and provide adequate bereavement leave to all parents and caregivers experiencing child loss.
Modernizing these policies would help families access long-term support that reflects the realities of childhood cancer.
There are 10,000 families currently living with the impact of childhood cancer in Canada who need your support. Families need support that reflects the realities of diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and beyond.
Help us raise awareness of the unimaginable realities faced by families navigating childhood cancer.
You can support Childhood Cancer Canada’s efforts by:
Let them know you want equitable supports for families navigating childhood cancer.
Tag your local Member of Parliament, and encouraging your family, friends and networks to join the movement.
Add your name to our list, so we can keep you informed of upcoming petitions and advocacy campaigns.
It only takes a moment, but together our voices can help drive meaningful change.
By facing the unimaginable together, we can advocate for stronger supports and modernize policies that protect families from financial hardship, and improve childhood cancer outcomes.
Help us ensure no childhood is lost to cancer. Join us. Act now.