Financial Assistance for Families

Pediatric Oncology Financial Assistance Program

When a child is in cancer treatment, the family faces tremendous out-of-pocket costs, such as travel to the treating hospital, food away from home, and babysitting for siblings left at home. In addition, one parent is often required to give up work to look after the ill child, so one source of family income might be lost. Families of children in cancer treatment tend to be young and, therefore, are not financially stable. In fact, it is estimated that these families can lose up to 1/3 of their after-tax income during the time a child is in treatment. In total, Ontario ’s families with children in cancer treatment face costs of approximately $8 million each year.

The Pediatric Oncology Financial Assistance Program provides relief by reimbursing families for some of the costs they incur. POGO is responsible for the administration of this program and currently provides more than 60% of the funding, with Canadian Cancer Society, Ontario Division, providing the balance of the funds until March 2006. Thereafter, POGO will need to raise the money required to ensure that the Pediatric Oncology Financial Assistance Program can continue to meet the needs of Ontario ’s families with children in cancer treatment.

Click here to download the POFAP brochure.

For information on how you can support the Pediatric Oncology Financial Assistance Program, please click here.

For information on how POFAP can help you, please contact:

Tami Sterling
416-592-1232
tsterling@pogo.ca