A school-aged child diagnosed with cancer is usually admitted to a children’s hospital (sometimes far from home) and is no longer able to attend school. To prevent your child from being dropped from school rolls due to nonattendance, you need to notify the school in writing about your child’s medical situation. This notification allows planning to begin for your child to receive hospital- or home-based schooling once he is able to resume his studies. If needed, enlist the assistance of a hospital social worker to write the letter and send to the school. Following is a sample letter, reprinted with permission from Sharon Grandinette, Exceptional Education Services.

Because treatments for solid tumors (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and stem cell transplantation) may cause changes in children’s behavior and ability to function in school, both during and after treatment, the study team meeting can lay the foundation for any needed accommodations or interventions.

At the meeting, you may wish to distribute booklets about how to help children with cancer in the classroom, as well as age-appropriate information that can be shared with the classmates. You can formulate a communicable disease notification strategy, if necessary, and do your best to establish a rapport with the entire school staff. Take this opportunity to express appreciation for the school’s help and your hopes for a close collaboration in the future to create a supportive climate for your child.

At the meeting, the school will designate a person (e.g., child’s teacher, guidance counselor, special education expert) to communicate with a designated person at the hospital (e.g., school liaison). To read about how St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital manages this process, visit www.stjude.org and enter the search term “School program.”

The designated liaisons will work to keep information flowing between the hospital and school and will help pave the way for a successful school reentry for your child. The liaison from the hospital should encourage questions and address any concerns the school staff have about having a seriously ill child in the school. The hospital liaison may also help school staff understand how the child’s illness might affect school attendance or performance. Privacy laws prohibit liaisons from communicating unless parents sign a release form authorizing the school and hospital to share information. These forms are available at schools and hospitals.

In the months and years after diagnosis, try to maintain an open and amicable relationship with the school in the hope that your child, who may be emotionally or physically fragile, continues to be welcomed and nurtured.