The Family Support Program provides comprehensive and individualized case management for families coping with the extraordinary demands of their child’s life-threatening illness. These programs include financial assistance and a range of support programs.

Friends of Karen provides direct financial assistance for illness-related expenses including, but not limited to:

• Transportation to medical treatment, parking, in-hospital meals.
• Childcare for siblings when parents have to be with their hospitalized child.
• Medical expenses not covered by insurance, such as co-pays.
• Basic living expenses such as mortgage/rent payments, utilities and car payments, which have become unmanageable due to lost wages and the high cost of medical care.

The social workers assess each family’s needs and provide specialized support for family members, including:

• Emotional support for family members coping with extraordinary circumstances.
• Advocacy for resolving problems with healthcare providers and government agencies.
• Supermarket gift cards and holiday meals for needy families.
• Referrals to other agencies or government programs.
• Gift programs for ill children and their siblings.