What financial and other support are you entitled to?
Many parents may feel overwhelmed after their child’s diagnosis. They have to learn how to navigate a new world of hospital visits, treatment protocols and clinic appointments, often while caring for other children and managing family life at the same time as looking after their sick child. Support from other people who have had similar experiences can be very helpful. There are some support groups for parents and teens in Ireland and a large number of Irish and international parenting blogs and social media groups, dedicated to childhood cancer, have emerged in recent years. Not all of the information that you see on the Internet may apply to your child, and some of the information may not be accurate. You should always ensure that you are accessing information from a reliable source.
The information compiled below is relevant to those going through cancer treatment and for survivors of childhood cancer. It has been compiled from information from the Citizens Advice Bureau, Department of Social Protection, Revenue, Department of Education and Skills and other sources. We hope you find it a helpful guide as you navigate the unknown landscape of childhood cancer treatment.
Travel2Care is a limited transportation assistance fund which has been made available by the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) to patients travelling to a designated cancer care centre or approved satellite centre and is administered by the Irish Cancer Society. The purpose of this nationwide transportation assistance fund is to support people who have a genuine financial difficulty in meeting some of the costs of travelling to current appointments The Travel2Care scheme is currently available to children who travel over 50kms one way to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin (OLCHC). The budget for Travel2Care is limited, there is no automatic entitlement, no set amount and each application will be assessed on a case by case basis. As a guideline, approximately €300 will be awarded in each case. This is a once off payment. There is an official application form for Travel2Care and this application is obtained and submitted on the child's behalf by a healthcare professional involved with their care, such as a medical social worker in Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin. Applying for Travel2Care will have no effect on applying for Financial Aid. They are separate schemes and once a patient is eligible to apply an application for both schemes may be submitted.