This initiative began in 2006 to provide limited support for families with a critically-ill child who live outside of our 22-county service area but are being treated at a hospital within Friends of Karen's geographic area.  (See Guidelines For Family Assistance - Are You Eligible? for details.)

• Friends of Karen will assist families with illness-related expenses such as co-pays, travel to and from the hospital, and meals while the child is in-treatment or in-hospital.
• In many instances, one of the parents in the Umbrella Program will have to live away from the rest of the family during the time(s) when the child is hospitalized. To ease their burden, Friends of Karen will cover a portion of their living costs at the Ronald McDonald House, cell phone expenses, and childcare expenses for the sibling(s) left at home.