The School Awareness Program and Support team facilitates return to school and the continued schooling of cancer-stricken children despite their illness and treatments.

The team also supports parents in their contact with the teaching personnel and to inform teachers on the reality of childhood cancer. 

To that end, a member of the team can visit the class with age-suitable materials or contact the school personnel to provide them with tools and information. This contact builds a trust-based relationship with the school. 


The objectives of the School Awareness Program and Support include: 

  • Provide parents, school personnel, and classmates with tools and information on the reality of cancer-stricken children and their specific needs 
  • Demystify cancer 
  • Support siblings and their classmates 
  • Make children reflect, become aware, and take action to help their cancer-stricken classmates 


Cases where the School Awareness Program and Support team can play a useful role

  • Following the diagnosis and treatment protocol, children with cancer may have to take a leave from school for a while. Classmates may wonder where their friends are, why they are not going to school like they are, etc. The team can help teachers to explain the situation. 

  • Upon returning to school, children who underwent treatments can look a little different from how they did before their leave from school (weight gain or loss, hair loss, etc.). Due to fear or ignorance, children with cancer can face rejection or mockery from their classmates about their physical appearance. 

  • Siblings of affected children can also struggle to answer questions from their classmates about their sister’s or brother’s situation. That is why it is just as important to go and meet the classmates of siblings and talk about the reality of childhood cancer. 

 

 

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How to access this service? 

The School Awareness Program and Support is available throughout the province, free of charge.


Christelle and Marie-Josée, from the School Awareness Program and Support team, explain how the service takes place.

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