Financial Support for your Family
A childhood cancer diagnosis comes with many unexpected expenses. We know there's no way to prepare for this and that you, as the parent, may need time off from work to care for your child. Our programs are here to help... the following services can provide some relief to your family during this time.
Financial Assistance
Our Lifeline Emergency Funds are available for Connecticut families or families treated at one of our partner hospitals*. This program can alleviate non-medical expenses related to your family's living or travel costs. Circle of Care pays creditors directly, requiring a bill we can pay on your behalf. Your hospital social worker must sign off on all requests for financial assistance.
In addition to bill pay, we can also assist your family with gift cards to supplement your gas and grocery costs. To discuss with our team how we can help your family, please email programs@thecircleofcare.org
*Partner hospitals include Baystate Children's Hospital, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, and Yale New Haven Children's Hospital
Educational Funding
Our Education Award provides educational funding for those in our Circle pursuing higher education, including two- and four-year colleges, technical schools, and certification programs. Funding is provided directly to the student to assist with their educational needs.
Our application for assistance opens in March, and decisions are made in May. Recipients are invited to a reception in June to receive their awards. We do not currently provide graduate school funding.
Holiday Relief
Toward the end of the calendar year, we provide families with additional gift cards to support them during the holidays. Families that attend our Thanksgathering event in November will receive a grocery gift card to support their Thanksgiving food purchases. Families financially supported by us within the past year will receive a gift card to assist with holiday shopping needs in December.
Eligible families in our Circle will receive a Thanksgathering invitation by email and holiday gift cards by mail. To ensure we have your up-to-date contact information, email us here.
Bereavement Support
Circle of Care has dedicated funding to support funeral costs for families that need it. This funding is separate from the financial assistance we provide families for bill payments, ensuring we can provide additional support when families need us most.
