AFANOC: Comprehensive psychosocial support for children with cancer in Catalonia
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the impact reaches far beyond medical treatment. It affects emotional balance, education, siblings, financial stability, and overall family life. Since 1987, Associació de Familiars i Amics de Nens Oncològics de Catalunya (AFANOC) has been working to ensure that children and adolescents with cancer in Catalonia (and their families) receive the psychosocial support they need alongside hospital care.
Today, AFANOC stands as a reference model in pediatric oncology support, serving more than 1,500 families in 2024 alone.
Born from parents’ experience
Fundación Tiempo de Paz is a non-profit organization supporting displaced and highly vulnerable communities, with a strong focus on children aged 5 to 12. Its mission is to prevent nutritional, psychological and social risks, especially child sexual abuse, by creating safe environments where children can grow, learn and feel protected.
Through daily meals, educational support, psychological care and recreational activities, the Foundation promotes holistic development guided by empathy, human dignity, transparency and respect for children’s rights.
Challenges facing vulnerable children in Medellín
AFANOC was created by a group of parents who, after facing their children’s cancer diagnoses, identified major gaps in support systems. At the time, families experienced:
- Long hospital stays in environments not adapted for children
- No accommodation near hospitals for families traveling from other regions
- Lack of psychological support
- Limited educational planning for hospitalized children
- Insufficient information about pediatric cancer
Families felt alone. What began as mutual aid and grief support groups gradually evolved into a structured, multidisciplinary organization focused on improving the quality of life of children and young people with cancer.
Over time, AFANOC professionalized its services, developing an integrated psychosocial approach that complements medical treatment with emotional, social, and educational support.
Mission: Improving quality of life beyond treatment
AFANOC’s mission is to improve the quality of life and psychosocial health of children, adolescents, and young people with cancer, while promoting greater understanding of these diseases and their treatments.
Hospitals provide essential medical care. AFANOC focuses on what happens beyond clinical intervention:
- Emotional well-being
- Educational continuity
- Social inclusion
- Family support
As a non-profit, non-denominational organization, AFANOC operates with values rooted in social justice, solidarity, responsibility, and quality management. All services are provided free of charge to families.
Presence in leading pediatric oncology hospitals
One of AFANOC’s greatest strengths is its integration within Catalonia’s leading pediatric oncology centers.
Its professionals are present at:
- The Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Service of Hospital Materno Infantil Vall d’Hebron
- The Pediatric Cancer Center at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona
Through formal collaboration agreements, AFANOC psychologists and social workers form part of hospital psychosocial support teams from the moment of diagnosis and throughout the treatment journey.
AFANOC also became the first organization to provide integrated psychosocial professionals to the AYA (Adolescents and Young Adults) Project at Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, addressing the specific needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer, a group often caught between pediatric and adult care models.
La Casa dels Xuklis: A home during treatment
In 2011, AFANOC inaugurated La Casa dels Xuklis, a pioneering family residence near Barcelona’s major pediatric hospitals.
The facility includes:
- 25 fully equipped family rooms
- Shared spaces designed for children and siblings
- Daily volunteer activities
- Continuous psychosocial support
For families who must relocate for months during treatment, La Casa dels Xuklis provides accommodation, stability, community, and emotional security. Many families describe it as their home during one of the most difficult periods of their lives.
Ongoing challenges
Sustaining high-quality, free psychosocial services requires stable funding. With an annual budget of approximately €2 million, AFANOC relies on a combination of public subsidies, member contributions, fundraising campaigns such as “Posa’t la Gorra” and “Rock pels Xuklis,” and private foundations and corporate donors.
In this context, strategic partnerships play a crucial role. Being selected as one of the winning organizations of the 2024 Community Impact Call promoted by Konecta Foundation represents not only financial support, but also institutional recognition of AFANOC’s psychosocial accompaniment model. The backing of Konecta Foundation strengthens AFANOC’s capacity to maintain and expand its services, ensuring that more children and families can access comprehensive emotional, social, and educational support throughout the cancer journey.
Adolescents remain a particularly complex group to support, as hospital spaces and care models are not always adapted to their developmental and emotional needs. Helping them remain involved in decisions and reintegrate into academic and social life is a constant priority.
Redefining success
While there are inspiring stories, including former patients achieving national sports victories, AFANOC defines success in quieter but equally powerful ways:
- A child smiling while playing with volunteers
- A sibling attending summer camp and feeling included
- A teenager feeling heard and supported
- A family experiencing stability despite uncertainty
Comprehensive pediatric cancer care must address the psychosocial dimension as rigorously as the medical one. AFANOC’s model demonstrates that emotional stability, educational continuity, and family-centered support significantly improve the overall well-being of children and adolescents with cancer.
Thanks to partnerships with foundations, corporate donors, and community supporters, AFANOC continues to ensure that no family in Catalonia faces childhood cancer alone.
