Andrew Sikomas sitting with Community Key family, The Sillah's.

WHAT

WE DO

HOW WE

HELP.

Community Key helps families with children that are seriously-ill or critically-injured that spend a lot of time in or in and out of the hospital. As a result, one or both parents might not be able to return to work and have had a loss of income.

​

Applications for funding are reviewed by an independent team of volunteers composed of various professionals involved in social work, healthcare, insurance, and finance. 

 

We can help in two ways:

 

  • We make payments for the family’s mortgage or rent,

  • We work with their mortgage lender to take advantage of available programs to delay or minimize their mortgage payments during their time of need

ASSISTANCE

CRITERIA.

What are the eligibility criteria?

We help families with children that are seriously-ill (mentally included) or critically-injured that spend a lot of time in or out of the hospital/clinic and as a result, one or both parents might not be able to return to work, have had a loss of income or is not able to keep up with the bills.
The whole family’s situation is reviewed including the income and the diagnosis/injury of the child. We try to figure out if their current financial situation and working status is caused by the diagnosis/injury of the child and not because of other unfortunate events. We also look at how long have/will the parents be required to stay on a lower income before they can go back to their full earnings.



Is there an age limit to be able to apply for support?

The child needs to be 18 years old and under in order to apply for support.



Is there a maximum sum of dollars provided to the family?

There is a maximum amount of dollars provided. We require a mortgage statement or a lease agreement and we support the amount on the statement up to two months of support or $2,000, whichever is the lower.



Is there a financial cut off for being eligible?

There is no actual amount of income that would not qualify. We request monthly income before diagnosis and monthly income after diagnosis. We look at the loss of income now that the child has been diagnosed or in the hospital.
We help families not necessarily with the lowest income but with the greatest loss of income or in a situation where there is no possibility of making more money or no support available. We also look at how long have/will the parents be required to stay in a lower income before they can go back to work.



If approved to receive support, how long are the families supported for? Is it a one-time fund or ongoing depending on illness/injury?

There is no actual amount of income that would not qualify. We request monthly income before diagnosis and monthly income after diagnosis. We look at the loss of income now that the child has been diagnosed or in the hospital.
We help families not necessarily with the lowest income but with the greatest loss of income or in a situation where there is no possibility of making more money or no support available. We also look at how long have/will the parents be required to stay in a lower income before they can go back to work.



How long does it take to know if you are approved?

Once the application for assistance is completed and returned to us, the Community Key Board of Directors reviews the application and it can take up to three weeks to hear back from us. We may have further questions regarding the application.



Can applications cover things such as funeral costs for children, utilities or extra costs that are not covered under a parent's medical plan or palliative coverage?

Approved funding is only for rent or mortgage payments.



Do you provide assistance outside of Alberta?

Yes, we do! We provide assistance across Western Canada.



Do you need to complete the application in order to apply for support?

We do require the application to be fully completed to be eligible. There is a lot of private information required on the application that not everyone wishes to answer and we understand that some families would rather not apply and not get the support in order to keep this information private, however we do need all this information to make the best decisions.



Do we need to meet in person to receive funds?

UPDATE: Due to COVID-19, we will be switching to electronic fund transfers (EFTs) for the safety of families and volunteers. It will not be a requirement to meet in person. We understand that families are going through what is their most difficult time. Typically, we do require to meet the families in person to deliver the cheque. The visit does not normally take more than 15 minutes and only one or two people from Community Key are meeting with the family. The only exception would be of an unexpected last-minute event that would cause the family to not be able to meet us (ie: travel outside of Alberta for emergency surgery or the child has passed away, etc.)



Do we need to meet at the hospital or clinic?

We do not need to meet at the hospital or clinic, but we can meet where families are most comfortable having us. It can be at their home, coffee shop, outside the hospital, etc. The child does not have to be present as we understand it can be hard to bring them to specific places.



Is any help provided for injured individuals who cannot work and are unable to pay rent fully?

Our sole mission is to help families that are caring for a seriously-ill or critically-injured child in paying their mortgage or rent payment. Your current financial situation and working status needs to be caused by the diagnosis of the child and not because of other unfortunate events.



Is it a requirement to share the family story on social media to receive funds?

It is not a requirement to share the family story on social media to receive funds. We are happy to share as many stories as we can to help more families and spread the word about Community Key.