Back to School Time Creates ‘Perfect Storm’ For Families Facing Cancer

For children in families that are facing cancer, back to school season can be a particularly tumultuous time of year, as an expert explained in an interview with CURE.

“Cancer doesn't happen in a vacuum,” said clinical social worker Kori Hatfield, who is the outpatient social work supervisor at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.

“You have all of the impacts of cancer, the financial impacts, the scheduling impacts of going to treatment, having side effects from treatments, needing to manage doctor's appointments, unexpected hospitalizations, things like that that automatically are a little off-kilter during this time,” said Hatfield. “And then when you're adding back to school time, there's a lot of transition there in terms of new schedules, children dealing with new peers and new teachers, so a whole new kind of support system that's in their orbit that they're getting used to, [and] new requirements for them in terms of school work and homework and those types of things. So, schedules are thrown off that way as well, so it's just kind of the perfect storm of everything coming together in terms of a lot of significant transition that can impact families and kids.”

For example, routines and regular schedules, Hatfield stressed, are incredibly important for children, both at home and in school.

“Routines are very important for kids. Kids have all the same emotions that we do, but haven't yet learned how to manage them,” she said. “And so they can have anticipatory anxieties or fears or worries based on small pieces of information or different changes. And so, having a routine helps to build some consistency in this world that is oftentimes unpredictable. And so it gives them that sense of security and safety of knowing what's coming next and what to expect.”

What Resources Are Available to Families?

Keeping lines of communication open with school staff and officials can be an important step, as Hatfield explained.

“If the school knows that there are concerns going on, health concerns going on, a cancer diagnosis, and a little bit about what's happening at home, that can help them support the family and support the child while they're there,” she said. “Because kids spend most of their time at school during the day, and so that can give [school staff] an idea of any changes that might occur in terms of attendance issues or differences in pickup and drop off routines that are there. It also can help them understand any changes in the patient or the child's behavior. So if [the child is] suddenly acting out or maybe withdrawn or having a rough day, [teachers and school staff] have some context as to what might be going on and where those feelings might be coming from.”

Most schools, Hatfield noted, have a social worker or counselor available to speak with children.

Families can also ask for different forms of support, as outlined in an article on Moffitt Cancer Center’s website. Those means of support include transportation to and from school or treatment, meals arranged through a method such as a meal train, childcare during appointments or recovery time, help with chores around the house such as laundry, dishes or yard work and emotional check-ins for family members.

Furthermore, as Moffitt details, help may be available through organizations such as Triage Cancer, Bright Spot Network, CancerCare and the United Way, in addition to social workers available through Moffitt’s Family First program.

Reference

1. “Making Back-to-School Easier for Families Facing Cancer,” Moffitt Cancer Center, Aug. 4, 2025; https://www.moffitt.org/endeavor/archive/making-back-to-school-easier-for-families-facing-cancer/

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