A Canadian childhood cancer charity is calling on the federal government to provide more financial support to families whose children are undergoing cancer treatment.
The foundation has seen demand for its financial support programs rise 40 per cent over the past two years, but says government funding has not kept pace.
“This is the time to step up, talk to our parliamentary leaders, as well as make sure those families going through it have a helping hand,” said Kyle Smith with Childhood Cancer Canada.
The charity is asking Ottawa for $15 million in the next federal budget to sustain those programs, while also seeking changes to tax credits and employment insurance requirements to better support families dealing with childhood cancer.
About 1,500 children are diagnosed with cancer every year in Canada, according to the charity.
For many families, a diagnosis can mean a parent leaving work or reducing their hours to become a full-time caregiver, creating financial pressures that can continue long after a child’s treatment ends.
Smith said many parents caring for a child with cancer are under the age of 40, meaning time away from the workforce can have lasting consequences for their finances.
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“That’s no RRSPs being built up, that is no other benefit,” he said, adding that decades later, “their retirement is impacted, the child’s retirement or education fund is impacted.”
‘The added financial stress … is just not needed’
For the Masikewich family, those pressures came after their daughter Sloane was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma in May 2023.
Treatment and a compromised immune system meant Sloane missed Grade 1 entirely, while Grades 2 and 3 were interrupted by trips to the hospital.
“It was hard not being in school and not being able to see my friends, but I enjoyed the time I got to spend with my mom and dad in the hospital,” Sloane said.
This school year marks a significant milestone for the family.
“This is the first year she doesn’t have to be in treatment, which is really incredible for our family and for Sloane,” her mother, Claire Masikewich, said.
Claire said families already coping with a child’s cancer diagnosis should not also have to contend with mounting financial pressures.
“The added financial stress for families on top of what you’re already going through is just not needed,” she said.
Childhood Cancer Canada raises awareness, funds research and provides support to families navigating a childhood cancer diagnosis.
The organization says financial stability is particularly important because it can allow parents to focus on caring for their children during treatment.
Beyond its $15-million funding request, the charity is calling for policy changes involving tax credits and EI requirements to provide more direct support to affected families.
For Sloane, being out of treatment has meant returning to the parts of childhood that cancer disrupted.
“I got to hang out with my friends, and I got to meet all my new classmates,” she said.
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