Childcare support and breast cancer

You may need help with looking after your children during or after treatment.

This could be because you need to spend more time at hospital appointments or having tests. You might also find that the side effects of treatment make it more difficult to manage childcare.

This can be upsetting but there are people and organisations that can support you.

Let family and friends know if you need support.

They may be able to help take care of your children when you have hospital appointments or help with day-to-day activities like food shopping or housework.

If you don’t have family and friends living close by who can help with childcare, you may be able to get help through social services (see below). 

You can also contact Coram Family and Childcare for information about local childcare.

Talk to the teachers or after-school care providers at your child’s school or nursery. They may be able to be flexible or provide extra support for your child.

Other parents at your child’s nursery or school may also be willing to help.

Find out more about talking to your children’s school.

You could speak to your employer, either your manager or human resources (HR) department, about flexible working.

This could give you more flexibility to balance work, childcare and your breast cancer treatment.

Social services can provide support for you and your family.

In England and Wales you can apply for a needs assessment from social services.

In Northern Ireland, you can ask for an assessment of need from your Health and Social Care Trust’s adult services or social services department.

In Scotland, you can contact your local council to ask for an assessment of need. Care Information Scotland has more information on how this works.

You can also ask your GP or treatment team to refer you to social services.

You may be able to get help towards childcare costs through certain benefits. Some of the benefits you may be able to claim include:

• Help with the cost of childcare
• Housing Benefit
• Universal Credit
• Free school meals
• Grants for school clothing

The benefits you'll be able to claim depend on your income and other factors.

Visit Macmillan Cancer Support for more information. You can also visit the Best Start in Life website for more information on childcare and financial support.

Carer’s Trust

Carer’s Trust is a charity that can provide support to families when a parent or carer has cancer by looking after children. They have centres across the UK.

Fruitfly Collective

The Fruitfly Collective supports children whose parents have cancer. They have resources and special kits to help with difficult conversations and to help children understand what cancer is.

Home-Start

Home-Start is a charity that helps families with young children cope with challenges such as long-term illness in the family. They offer free support and practical help such as looking after children or giving you someone to talk to.

Macmillan Cancer Support

Macmillan Cancer Support offers free financial guidance and support to people with breast cancer. They also produce a booklet Help with the cost of cancer which includes information on the benefits available for carers, help with housing costs, children’s needs and transport. For more information, call 0808 808 00 00.

The Osborne Trust

The Osborne Trust offers free emotional and practical support for children of a parent with a cancer diagnosis and undergoing cancer treatment.

Thinking about breast cancer and childcare may make you feel overwhelmed and anxious. You may find our information on managing stress and anxiety helpful.

Talk to your treatment team as there may be other organisations they can refer you to for help and support.

You can also speak to our nurses or share your concerns and experience through our online discussion forum. See the bottom of this page for ways to get in touch.

And our Someone Like Me service can put you in touch with someone who has experience of the issues you’re facing.