Findings confirm that mothers and fathers of children diagnosed with cancer are at higher risk of sickness absence from work, with particularly pronounced risk among bereaved parents. Acquisition of further knowledge is warranted regarding possibilities and constraints of parents trying to combine their work life with caring for both their child and themselves.

Parenting a child with cancer creates numerous additional care demands that may lead to increased difficulties in balancing work and family responsibilities. Still, there is limited knowledge of how parents cope with both parenthood and paid work after a child’s cancer diagnosis. The aim of the study was to explore mothers’ and fathers’ experiences of balancing the dual roles of work and parenthood following a child’s cancer diagnosis. Nine focus groups with in total 32 parents of children with cancer in Sweden were conducted. The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis. Three categories were identified: Shifts in the importance of the parent role and the work role, Influence of context and conditions on the balance of roles, and Long-term unbalance of roles. Parents expressed an increased appreciation of time spent with family, but also emphasized the importance of work to counterbalance the sometimes overwhelming parenting demands. The pre-existing financial situation, work situation, and employer behaviour were important factors influencing the parents’ ability to balance work and family. Traditional gender roles influenced how couples divided responsibilities and reflected on their experiences. Mothers and fathers were also met with different expectations, which highlights the need for the healthcare to consider their communication with caregivers. Importantly, the parents expressed how the child’s illness affected their ability to balance work and family for a long time, while the understanding and support from others had steadily declined. Enabling parents to care for their ill child without sacrificing their own career is of utmost importance, and future research should focus on identifying which factors facilitate for parents to achieve a sustainable work-life balance.

Background The aim of this study was to explore what facilitators and barriers parents of children with cancer identify for their ability to return to work and meet financial needs. Procedure Nine focus groups (21 mothers; 11 fathers) were performed across Sweden in 2015 and 2019. A deductive content analysis approach was used. A preconstructed matrix consisting of 12 codes based on previous literature was used to organize the data. The codes were grouped into subcategories, which were abstracted to four generic categories. Results Facilitators for a return to work were covered in the category “Flexibility and understanding from employers and social services,” and barriers in the category “Pressure to return without consideration of the consequences.” Facilitators to meeting financial needs were covered in the category “Available public, private, and employer support,” and barriers in the category “Lack of organized and efficient support from employers and social services.” Conclusions The identified barriers suggest that there is room for improvement in the provision of psychosocial support, which relates to a perceived lack of organized support regarding practical, financial, and occupational matters. The results show a need for a coordinated support system that includes major stakeholders, such as the health care, welfare agencies, and employers. Moreover, employers should consider how to implement more workplace flexibility and involvement of occupational health services. Importantly, to be able to return to work and achieve a sustainable financial situation, it is necessary for all stakeholders to recognize the long‐term impact of parenting a child with cancer.

Balancing work and family may be particularly challenging for parents of seriously ill children. This Swedish registry-based study, including 2,788 parents of children with cancer and a matched reference cohort of 27,110 parents, used regression models to analyze the division of childcare, measured as use of temporary parental leave (TPL), and how it relates to income division within couples and change in income over time. The results show that the number of days on TPL increased significantly following a child’s cancer diagnosis, particularly among mothers. Fathers’ share of the couple’s total income was not found to be a strong predictor of the division of TPL, and no association was found between TPL and income development. The study highlights the considerable time needed to care for a seriously ill child, unevenly distributed between mothers and fathers, and suggests that factors other than economic resources may influence the division of childcare responsibility.