Applications are accepted from parents and from their social workers. The link to the online application can be received from AFF directly, or from social workers at:

• MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Texas Children’s Hospital
• Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital
• Dell Children’s Medical Center
• Cook Children’s Medical Center
• Stanford Children’s Hospital
• University of Iowa
• Advocate Children’s Hospital
• Nationwide Children’s Hospital
• Nemours Children’s Hospital

Along with the application, required documents are a recent bill that can be used to make a payment and a diagnosis/treatment confirmation letter form a social worker or oncologist on letterhead. Beginning in 2022, AFF will consider requests up to $2,500.

Our Family Financial Assistance committee meets on the 3rd Monday of the month via video chat to review the applications and approve a grant amount. Each member of the committee uses a rubric to score the application, with preference being given to Houston area families and brain cancer patients.

Following the committee meeting, our Director of Family Relief pays the bills directly and contacts the family or social worker to let them know that a payment has been made or is on the way!

Requirements for a family to apply for financial assistance:

• • A cancer diagnosis of any type or stage
  • Patient under the age of 18
  • Patient currently in treatment for cancer
  • Patient currently being treated at on of the above hospitals

In 2024, AFF surpassed
$1.2 million provided as financial assistance for families!

Tips for applying for Family Financial Assistance:

• • Include a photo of your child or family! The FFA committee loves to see sweet faces and really connects to applications that include the personal touch!
  • Attach your most expensive bill(s). Most often, AFF applies the total grant amount to one bill. We are also not able to make advance payments past 3 months in the future, so a smaller bill might “cap out” at 3 months when a larger grant amount could have been given.

Family Financial Assistance FAQs:

Can families re-apply for financial assistance?

• Yes! Families may apply once per calendar year, up to three times, while the child is still in still in treatment.

How long after an application is submitted will a payment be made?

• Complete applications that are submitted by second Monday of each month will be reviewed that month. FFA committee meetings are on the third Monday of the month and payments are made within the following two weeks.

I really need help with hospital parking or groceries, does AFF help with those costs?

• Gift cards are occasionally available, but please apply and include one of your current bills! We hope to make room in your budget for those costs by taking care of a larger, reoccurring bill.