During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara highlights two grants it awarded earlier this year to Cottage Children’s Medical Center and Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF), two local organizations supporting children with cancer and their families.

Cottage Children’s Medical Center

The Cancer Foundation awarded a $90,000 grant to Cottage Children’s Medical Center to fund a pediatric research coordinator position. The position supports the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) clinical trials for children receiving care through Cottage’s pediatric hematology-oncology clinic.

The COG is the world’s largest organization researching only pediatric cancer therapies, and Cottage Children’s Medical Center is the only place on the Central Coast where families can access its clinical trials, according to Cottage Health.

During the first six months of 2026, Cottage Children’s Medical Center had four pediatric oncology studies open to enrollment, four patients on active protocol therapy, and 73 patients in long-term follow-up.

Since 2007, the Cancer Foundation has funded the pediatric research coordinator position.

Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation

The Cancer Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant to the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, which has served families affected by pediatric cancer in the Tri-counties for 23 years. The grant helps fund the organization’s financial, emotional, and educational support programs.

During the first six months of 2026, TBCF served more than 135 families. Its programs provided:

• Financial support: 67 families received assistance with household bills and expenses associated with caring for a child with cancer.
• Emotional support: 117 families received professional and peer support.
• Educational advocacy: five families received support with their child’s academic needs and their transition back to school following treatment.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 15,000 people under the age of 20 are diagnosed with cancer each year in the U.S.

The American Association for Cancer Research reports the overall five-year survival rate for pediatric cancers increased from 63 percent in the mid-1970s to 87 percent in 2015-21. This improvement is largely attributed to decades of advances in treatment made possible through clinical research and participation in clinical trials.

In addition to the challenges of treatment, childhood cancer can disrupt a child’s education and everyday life and create financial and emotional challenges for the entire family, the Cancer Foundation said.

“Decades of research have led to significant improvements in pediatric cancer survival, but continued progress depends on access to clinical trials and the resources families need throughout treatment,” said Lori Willis, executive director of the Cancer Foundation.

“We are proud to support Cottage Children’s Medical Center and Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation so that children and families in our community can access these resources close to home.” she said.

For more about Cottage Health’s pediatric oncology research and clinical trials, visit https://www.cottagehealth.org/childrens/outpatient/cancer-care-hematology/.

For more about Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, visit https://www.teddybearcancerfoundation.org/.

To learn more about the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, visit www.cfsb.org.