Children, adolescents and young adults

Cancer Council Tasmania offers support for children, adolescents and young adults impacted by cancer.

There is a range of support and information available for families when a young person is diagnosed with cancer during and after treatment.

The Under 25s program can assist with:

• Financial support
• Links to relevant community services
• Information and resources for young people and their families
• Emotional support

For further information, please contact us on 1300 65 65 85.

Financial Assistance

Where a child aged 18 years or under is diagnosed with cancer, the family can access our Rachel & Jye fund (see below).

For those over 18 years of age, please refer to Cancer Council’s Financial Assistance Program.

Applications for financial assistance must be completed by a social worker or member of a health care team.

Rachel & Jye Fund

The Rachel and Jye Fund was established with the aim of providing financial assistance to Tasmanian families where a young person up to the age of 18 years is diagnosed with cancer.

The Rachel & Jye Fund offers:

• An initial payment to Tasmanian families when a child or adolescent is diagnosed with cancer and/or experiences a relapse.
• Travel assistance funding where interstate travel is required for treatment

For further information on the Rachel & Jye Fund contact the Cancer Support Team on 1300 65 65 85.

Seize the Day Educational Scholarships

Applications open now.

Our Seize the Day Educational Scholarships help with post-secondary education costs for young Tasmanians impacted by cancer.

Scholarships are between $500 - $2,000, depending on personal circumstances, eligibility and the impact of cancer. Funds can be used towards study-related costs such as course fees, textbooks, stationery, course equipment, transport and accommodation.

Eligibility Criteria for Applicants

• aged between 16 - 25 years (at time of application)
• a permanent resident of Tasmania (if the young person has recently moved out of Tasmania for study purposes the parent/guardian must be a permanent resident of Tasmania)
• impacted by a cancer diagnosis of self or immediate family member (parent/guardian, sibling, spouse, child)
• the person diagnosed must have had a diagnosis or undergone treatment within 2 years of the application (exceptional circumstances outside of this timeframe will be considered on a case-by-case basis) OR
• the young person is bereaved by cancer (within 5 years)
• engaged in post-secondary education/training in the scholarship year including part-time or full-time study at university, TAFE, an apprenticeship or VET course or year 11 and 12 (in Tasmania only)

Scholarship guideline and application process can be found here.

For further information, please contact us by email:  under25program@cancertas.org.au or call 1300 65 65 85.

Thank you to our Seize the Day sponsor

KidzCan

KidzCan is a financial assistance program for children and young people aged 0-25 who live in Tasmania and are impacted by their own diagnosis or that of a close family member (parent/guardian, sibling, partner or child). Referrals must be made by a social worker, psychologist, doctor, nurse or oncologist.

KidzCan will fund activities and services which improve educational outcomes, build resilience, enhance coping strategies and increase social connection. Examples include:

• Fertility preservation for young cancer patients
• Mental Health Support (counselling, psychologist)
• Educational Support (tutoring, educational assessments with psychologist, technology)
• Resilience, Wellbeing and Learning (extra-curricular activities e.g. music/art lessons, sports club fees)
• Social Connection and Community Engagement (relevant camps and programs)

For more information please email us at under25program@cancertas.org.au, call 1300 65 65 85 or send us an enquiry via our online form.