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Children’s Emergency Fund

Children’s Emergency Fund is a 501(c)3 public charity association that helps Puyallup School District students and their families in times of crisis. We assist low-income families with basic needs such as housing and utilities, and we offer funds for their students’ medical, dental, clothing, or school expenses. For homeless or fostering families, we waive income requirements on a case-by-case basis. We also give information about other local resources, regardless of a family’s eligibility.

The application process

  1. 1. Contact the health room or counselor in the school your child attends.
  2. 2. The staff checks eligibility (participation in free/reduced-priced lunch program and last assistance received more than two years ago). Allow two business days for this step.
  3. 3. The staff briefly interviews the parent/guardian about the expense and the family.
  4. 4. The parent/guardian provides documentation of the expense and family income.
  5. 5. Staff forwards the completed application and documentation to CEF. Allow three to five business days for this step.
  6. 6. CEF interviews the parent/guardian to elaborate and confirm details.
  7. 7. CEF makes a direct payment for the expense and/or connects the family with other resources.

Did you know?

  • - All your information is confidential.
  • - We never discriminate based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sex, religion, disability, or citizenship.
  • - Our volunteers are Puyallup School District employees who carve time out of their workday to help our community.
  • - We’re such a small organization that there’s no bureaucracy. We review applications as quickly as possible to help you in only a few days, not weeks or months.
  • - Eligibility is based on your income. To determine income, we check whether you have already been approved for free or reduced-price school lunches.

More information

Contact Children’s Emergency Fund at [email protected] , visit our website https://puyallup-cef.org, or download our brochure: https://www.puyallup-cef.org/documents/CEF%20brochure.pdf.

Information for PSD staff

To check eligibility or submit a completed application, contact Kerry Geffen, Cindy Sondker, or Danielle Townsend.