The Importance of Social and Financial Support for Parents of Children with ALL

Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow in children. It occurs when the bone marrow produces too many immature white blood cells, known as lymphoblasts, that crowd out healthy cells.

Caring for a child with ALL can bring many challenges. Recent research presented at the 2025 American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting studied these challenges to try and understand how a cancer diagnosis affects parents and families. 

The research considered:

Financial burden: costs of care for medical appointments, and time off work.

Logistical challenges: Adjusting schedules, coordinating transportation, and finding a place to stay overnight if necessary for medical appointments and intensive treatments.

Emotional strain: uncertainty, fear, and grief that parents experience during diagnosis, treatment, and even once remission is achieved. 

Household Material Hardship and ALL

Household Material Hardship (HMH) refers to unmet needs measured by access to food, energy, and housing. When these needs are not met, parents of children with ALL may be more likely to experience mental and emotional distress.    

Research has shown that about 30% of pediatric cancer patients have household material hardship in the first 6 months of treatment. 

A lack of social support is common among the parents of children with ALL.

The study evaluated social support among 1,067 parents, mainly mothers, who are primary caregivers for their children who have been diagnosed with ALL. Of those, 52% did not have enough social support.

How to support parents caring for a child with ALL

Social support can take many different forms and depends on individual needs or desires.  

Friends and family can be a great source of support during this time. They can offer love, practical help, and encouragement when things feel overwhelming. Social support can even include providing resources and offering financial help in managing everyday or unexpected expenses.  

Some other ways to find support while managing your child’s diagnosis are:

Being part of a support group is a great source of emotional support and offers a space for you to get practical advice from others with similar experiences. 

Working with a mental health professional can help you manage the different emotions that come with caring for a child with cancer.  

Taking time for self-care by being intentional about ways to support your well-being can improve your physical, mental, and emotional health.   

While self-care and emotional support from others is important, financial strain is a barrier for many.When people are not able to afford the costs of their care, it is more difficult to attend medical appointments or pay the high costs for medications, which can lead to poor outcomes.  

A financial counselor can help you understand both your insurance coverage and estimated out-of-pocket costs. They can also point you to resources that in covering the cost of their care. 

Connect with others caring for children with ALL

HealthTree is committed to providing space for patients and care partners to share experiences with one another.  

Click the link below to join Connect to Cures and hear insights from other care partners.

HealthTree Connect

Sources: 

• Inadequate Social Support and Household Material Hardship 
• Household Material Hardship 
• Financial Toxicity 
• HealthTree Community as a Pillar of Self Care