Variety Cares Fund
Hospital Grants
The Variety Cares Fund is granted to hospitals to help them, help families. Administered by hospital staff, we provide essential resources to families traveling to hospitals far from home, so they can focus on their children’s health.
Variety Cares Fund
Through the Variety Cares Fund, we support families who need to travel to deal with an unforeseen medical emergency. The fund provides short term financial support for food, parking, accommodation, breast pumps, and other needs.
In 2022, Variety BC partnered with 10 hospitals throughout BC to enable social workers and hospital administrators to meet the urgent needs of families whose children are receiving medical treatment away from their home communities.
Eligibility Requirements
- The Variety Cares Fund provides short term support, filling immediate & urgent needs for families whose children are receiving essential health care away from home.
- This fund is intended to allow these families to focus on the health of their children. Families of children from birth to their 19th birthday, who need medical care, are eligible for support through this fund.
- This program is administrated through hospital social workers to reduce financial burden on families who are most in need. The goal of this program is to buy families and health care professionals time to establish a longer term plan.
- If you are a family in need at one of our participating hospitals below, please contact a social worker at your hospital.Â
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Participating Hospitals
Together, with our donors, we support children with disabilities and complex health needs and organizations who provide services to children throughout our province. We currently support the following hospitals:
Lower Mainland
Royal Columbian Hospital
BC Children’s Hospital
BC Women’s Hospital (NICU)
Burnaby Hospital
Fraser Valley
Abbotsford Regional Hospital
Surrey Memorial Hospital
Vancouver Island
Victoria General Hospital
Nanaimo General Hospital
Okanagan & Interior
Royal Inland Hospital
Kelowna General Hospital
Contact Us
To enquire about becoming a participating hospital, please use the email button below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a family qualify for the Variety Cares Fund hospital grants?
Variety Cares Fund aims to support families most in financial need who are travelling outside of their home community to access urgent medical care for their child (ages 0 -19). Variety suggests limiting funds to those with a net household income of under $85,000, however discretion may be used on a case-by-case basis.
Is Variety funding available to families after leaving the hospital?
Variety Cares Fund supports only short-term needs. Once returning home, families may apply for a Variety Child Grant for longer term assistance, should they meet eligibility and their request fits within our guidelines.
Email our Heart Fund Granting Department or click here for details on Child Grants
Does the Variety Cares Fund support family members?
Variety Cares Funds can cover up to two primary care givers to accompany and support the child while seeking urgent medical attention.
Is there an age requirement for the patient who needs to access Variety Cares Fund?
Per Variety’s guidelines, Variety Cares Funds can only be considered for those from birth up to a child’s 19th birthday and with a valid personal healthcare number (PHN or formerly known as CareCard)
What if my child needs to go to a hospital not listed as a participating hospital?
Variety Cares Funds can only be distributed to the listed participating hospitals. If your hospital is not listed, please seek alternative financial support with the help of a local hospital social worker.
What type of funding is available to children who are in need of long-term hospital care?
For those children who are seriously ill and need prolonged hospitalization in one of the participating hospitals for more than one month, they can access the funding for comfort items (i.e. slippers, robes, books) or educational communication devices (i.e. iPads). This would include kids under cancer treatment, with severe breathing problems from asthma, serious infections, some complications of diabetes, or those involved in a serious automobile accident or near-drowning.