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
• 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 courses.

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.