If you are a parent caring for a child with a severe disability, you may be able to receive some financial help.

The Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities program helps parents with some of the extra costs of caring for a child who has a severe disability.

Who can get help

A parent or a legal guardian whose child

• is under 18 years of age lives at home, and has a severe disability

may be eligible to receive help under this program depending on the family's income.

What the program pays for

Parents can get between $25 and $410 a month to help with costs, such as:

• travel to doctors and hospitals
• special shoes and clothes
• parental relief
• wheelchair repairs
• assistive devices
• hearing aids
• hearing aid batteries
• prescription drugs
• dental care
• eyeglasses.

How much a family receives will depend on:

• the family's income
• the severity of the disability
• the kind of difficulties the child has when
  • walking
  • communicating
  • feeding himself
• bathing himself
• the extraordinary costs related to the disability.

How to apply

• Contact your local regional office and ask for an application form.
• Complete the application form and return it to the regional office along with any documentation asked for.
• A Special Agreements Officer will review your application and will contact you if they need more information.
• You will receive a letter saying whether or not you qualify for a grant and, if so, how much you will receive.