A parent/carer with or beyond cancer

The most useful first step is to get your support set up early, before treatment ramps up and your capacity drops. Call Cancer Hub on 1800 431 312 and our intake team will work out what your family needs and connect you with the right services.

For parents and carers with cancer, that usually means a mix of Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite’s online community where parents and carers facing cancer access peer connection and expert input), parents counselling through Cancer Hub, the Kids’ Guide to Cancer (a Camp Quality interactive resource in five languages that helps explain a diagnosis to children), and Financial Assistance (Redkite, for essentials like fuel, groceries and electricity).

Being a parent with cancer is a particular kind of overwhelming. You are processing your own diagnosis while thinking about your kids, your partner, work, and everything keeping family life running. You do not have to figure it all out at once, and you do not have to figure it out alone.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

Support for a parent or carer with cancer includes counselling, financial assistance, help talking to your children about your diagnosis, practical support at home, and resources for your kids while you go through treatment. In Australia, this is delivered free through Cancer Hub, a collaboration between Canteen, Camp Quality and Redkite.

The most relevant services for parents and carers are Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite’s online community for parents facing cancer), parents counselling through Cancer Hub (a confidential pathway for the parent or carer themselves), the Kids’ Guide to Cancer (Camp Quality, in five languages, for explaining cancer to kids aged 0-12), Camp Quality Family Camps and Family Retreats (for families with a child aged 0-15 to reconnect and take a break from cancer), and Financial Assistance (Redkite paying for essentials).

The most common first questions from parents with cancer are how to tell your kids, how to look after yourself through treatment, and what to do about reduced income while you are unwell. The Kids’ Guide to Cancer and Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers are the fastest starting points for the first two.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

When you have cancer and you are also raising children, the impact reaches into every part of life: the school run, the conversations you are not sure how to start, the household admin, the income hit, and the very human instinct to protect your kids from worry while carrying enormous worry yourself.

Cancer Hub helps parents and carers access practical, emotional and financial support so family life can keep going. The services most parents and carers use are Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite peer + expert community), parents counselling through Cancer Hub, Financial Assistance (Redkite, for essentials like fuel, groceries, electricity), and Camp Quality Family Camps for breaks away with the whole family.

You can also read more about looking after yourself through treatment on our parent resources page – physical and mental health strategies for parents and carers specifically.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

Cancer Hub’s intake team. That is what we are here for. When you are a parent with cancer, the last thing you should be spending limited energy on is researching services and working out what you qualify for.

Call 1800 431 312 and our specially trained intake team will sit down with you, work out what each member of your family needs (you, your partner, your kids), and connect you with the right services. That typically includes Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite), parents counselling through Cancer Hub, the Kids’ Guide to Cancer for explaining your diagnosis to younger children, and Financial Assistance (Redkite) for essential costs.

For parents and carers with cancer there is no “one size fits all”. A single parent with two kids in primary school has a different mix than a parent in their 40s with adult children at home. The intake conversation is built around that.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

For parents and carers with cancer in Australia, free support is available through Cancer Hub – a partnership between Canteen, Camp Quality and Redkite that brings the most relevant services into one entry point.

The services that matter most for parents and carers are Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite peer + expert community), parents counselling through Cancer Hub, Financial Assistance (Redkite, for fuel, groceries, electricity and essentials), Camp Quality Family Camps and Family Retreats (for families with a child aged 0-15), the Kids’ Guide to Cancer (Camp Quality, age-appropriate explanation in five languages), and the Cancer Education Program (Camp Quality puppet visits to primary and preschools).

Government support sits alongside this, primarily through Centrelink – see our guide to dealing with Centrelink as a parent or carer with cancer.

Cancer is rarely a single problem to solve. The point of Cancer Hub is that one conversation gets you connected to all of the above.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

When your partner has cancer, your world shifts too, usually without much notice. You may end up running the household on your own, parenting through your own fear, and holding things together for your kids while carrying enormous worry yourself.

Cancer Hub has dedicated support for the partner/carer side of this. Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite) is the peer community for carers specifically. Parents counselling through Cancer Hub is available for you – not just the person with cancer. Financial Assistance (Redkite) covers essential costs if income drops during treatment, and Centrelink may have additional carer-specific payments – see our guide to Centrelink payments for carers.

Caring for a partner with cancer while parenting is one of the most demanding situations a person can be in. The support is built for that, and you do not have to wait until you are at breaking point to use it.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

Practical help, emotional support for both of you, and protecting your own capacity so you can keep going for the long haul.

The services most carers use are Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite community for partners and carers), parents counselling through Cancer Hub (a confidential pathway for you, the carer, separate from your partner’s treatment), Financial Assistance (Redkite, for essentials when income drops), and our guide to managing your own stress and worry when your partner has cancer.

Caring for a partner with cancer while also parenting often means being the sole earner, the only carer, and the person your children look to for reassurance, all at once. That is unsustainable on willpower. The right support stack makes it sustainable.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

When you are caring for a partner with cancer while also raising children, the support you need goes well beyond the medical.

Cancer Hub helps carers access Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite community), parents counselling through Cancer Hub (for the carer themselves, separate from the patient’s treatment), Financial Assistance (Redkite, for everyday family costs when income is affected), and guidance on dealing with Centrelink – including the Carer Payment and Carer Allowance if you qualify.

For families with younger children, Camp Quality runs Family Camps and Family Retreats (for families with a child aged 0-15) so the whole family can step out of cancer for a few days.

Carer needs matter. The most common mistake we see is partners not asking for their own support until they are already burnt out.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

Practical guidance specific to your family situation, plus connection to the services that match it.

For parents and carers with cancer, the most useful resources are talking to your children about cancer, keeping the family connected during treatment disruptions, and how cancer affects family relationships. The Kids’ Guide to Cancer (Camp Quality, five languages) is the go-to for age-appropriate explanations to younger kids.

For peer connection, Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite) is the parent/carer community. For deeper one-on-one support, parents counselling through Cancer Hub.

Cancer reshapes family life in ways that are hard to prepare for – particularly when the person with cancer is the parent. Routines shift, the emotional weight is shared across the household, and the parent/carer roles often blur. Cancer Hub’s intake team works through that with you and identifies what each family member needs.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

The honest answer is: with the right support around them, and one day at a time. There is no script for this, and you should not be working it out alone.

For parents and carers facing a terminal diagnosis, Cancer Hub connects you with parents counselling for the adults in the family, Children’s Counselling (Redkite, ages 5-17) for the kids, Grief and Bereavement Support, and practical guidance on talking to your children about cancer – including age-appropriate conversations about what is happening and what comes next.

When a parent receives a terminal diagnosis, the partner often ends up carrying grief while still trying to protect the kids. The grief is real and it is valid even before loss. Parents counselling through Cancer Hub is there for that, alongside Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite community).

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

A trained counsellor who understands what it is to be a parent or carer with cancer – and who you can talk to separately from the people in your immediate orbit.

Parents counselling through Cancer Hub is available for parents and carers specifically, separate from your treatment team. Call 1800 431 312 and our intake team will connect you. For peer support, Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite) is the online community where parents facing cancer talk to other parents in the same situation – sometimes the most valuable conversations come from people who already know the shape of it.

If your priority is figuring out how to tell your children, the Kids’ Guide to Cancer (Camp Quality, in five languages) and our guide to talking to your children about cancer are the fastest starting points.

You do not need the right words before you reach out. Get in touch and we will take it from there.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

Reach out – preferably before you hit breaking point. The right support reduces the load.

For parents and carers struggling to cope, the two most direct pathways are parents counselling through Cancer Hub (book a confidential session by calling 1800 431 312) and Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite community where parents facing cancer support each other). Our guide to looking after yourself through treatment covers physical and mental health strategies specifically for parents.

When you have cancer and children at home, there is a lot resting on you, and it is completely normal to find that hard. The better supported you are, the better supported your children can be. Looking after yourself is part of looking after them.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

Yes. Parents and carers with cancer can access counselling through Cancer Hub at no cost.

Parents counselling through Cancer Hub is a confidential pathway specifically for parents and carers with cancer. The Cancer Hub intake team works out the right counsellor for your situation and books the sessions for you. Call 1800 431 312 to start. Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite) also includes group support with expert input, which is free and ongoing.

For families with younger children who need their own support, Children’s Counselling (Redkite, ages 5-17) and the Kids’ Guide to Cancer (Camp Quality, in five languages) are available.

Cost is not what should stop a parent or carer from getting counselling support. Access is.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

When a parent in your household has cancer, there is a lot to carry – whether you are the one diagnosed or the one holding everything together at home. Both positions need support.

Cancer Hub recognises that family cancer is rarely a one-person problem. For the parent or carer themselves, parents counselling through Cancer Hub and Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite) are the most direct pathways. For partners and other carers, the same options apply – both are explicitly built for carers, not just patients. For kids in the household, Children’s Counselling (Redkite, 5-17), the Kids’ Guide to Cancer (Camp Quality), and Camp Quality Family Camps (for families with a child aged 0-15) offer age-appropriate support.

The Cancer Hub intake team’s job is to identify what each member of your family needs and connect each of you to the right support – not just the person who is unwell.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

Yes. Parents counselling through Cancer Hub is available for you, the partner or carer – not just the person with cancer.

You can also access Online Support Programs for Parents and Carers (Redkite community for partners and carers specifically) and our guide to managing your own stress and worry when your partner has cancer for practical strategies between sessions.

When your partner has cancer, the emotional load can be enormous, and it can feel selfish to ask for support when they are the one going through treatment. It is not selfish – it is the carer load, which is real and well-documented. Getting your own support in place keeps you sustainable for the people relying on you.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

A mix of charity assistance for essentials and government payments through Centrelink.

Financial Assistance (Redkite) pays for essentials like fuel, groceries, electricity, school costs and household bills when cancer is affecting income. It is paid as direct support, not a loan. On the Centrelink side, parents and carers with cancer may be eligible for Disability Support Pension, JobSeeker with medical exemption, or the Carer Payment / Carer Allowance if a partner is the patient – our Centrelink guide for parents and carers breaks down what applies in which situation and how to apply.

Cancer Hub’s intake team can help you work through what you qualify for so you are not navigating Centrelink on top of treatment.

When you have cancer and children at home, financial pressure builds fast – treatment costs on one side, reduced income on the other, everyday family expenses unchanged. Support exists. Most of it is not automatic, so you do need to ask.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

Financial Assistance (Redkite) for essential costs like fuel, groceries, electricity and school costs, plus Centrelink payments you may be entitled to as a parent unable to work, plus Cancer Hub’s intake team to help you work out which combination applies to your situation.

For parents with cancer specifically, the relevant Centrelink pathways usually include Disability Support Pension, JobSeeker with medical exemption, and Family Tax Benefit adjustments if income has dropped. Our Centrelink guide for parents and carers covers eligibility, paperwork and application tips. If your partner has reduced their hours to care for you, the Carer Payment and Carer Allowance also come into play.

When you have cancer and you are also a parent, financial pressure lands hard and fast. The system is not designed to find you – you have to find it. Cancer Hub’s intake team makes that part faster.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

Help running family life when your capacity is reduced – meals, school runs, household admin, appointment logistics, and breaks for the whole family.

Cancer Hub connects parents with cancer to Camp Quality Family Camps and Family Retreats (free breaks for families with a child aged 0-15), the Kids’ Guide to Cancer (Camp Quality, in five languages, for explaining things to younger children), Children’s Counselling (Redkite, 5-17) if your kids need their own support, and Financial Assistance (Redkite) for essential household costs. The intake team can also help you think through what local practical help looks like for your specific situation.

When you have cancer and children at home, the school run, appointments, household management and work responsibilities keep going even when your capacity does not. The most useful thing the practical support stack does is give you back hours.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.

The two main pathways are charity assistance through Redkite and government payments through Centrelink.

Financial Assistance (Redkite) helps with essentials like fuel, groceries, electricity, school costs and household bills when cancer is affecting family income. Centrelink offers the Carer Payment (income support if you are providing constant care) and the Carer Allowance (a supplementary fortnightly payment) – both have eligibility criteria you can work through with our Centrelink guide for parents and carers.

When your partner has cancer, so much of your energy goes into caring for them and keeping things stable for your kids that your own financial security can drop off the radar. Looking after yourself financially is not a luxury – it is what makes the rest sustainable. Cancer Hub’s intake team can help you work through what you qualify for.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our get support page.