Financial Assistance
Government funding and resources and government saving plans
Whether it is a therapy that is not covered, a modification to your house or a specialized piece of equipment, it all costs money. We have compiled a few organizations that can offer assistance. If your health care provider is making a recommendation, they are often willing to help with the quotes and referrals.
Let them help with the paperwork; it is one less thing you have to worry about.
Government programs
Alberta Child Health Benefit
The Alberta Child Health Benefit plan pays for health services that are not available through standard Alberta Health Care insurance, such as eyeglasses, prescription drugs and dental claims.
This health plan is for children up to age 18, but additionally up to age 20 if they live at home and are attending high school up to grade 12.
There are no fees to sign up. Income is a factor for eligibility.
Call (780) 427-6848 or toll free 1-877-469-5437, or visit employment.alberta.ca.
Programs Alberta
This website offers a wide variety of information on raising children, from newborns to six-year-olds, with medical or special needs. It has information on issues such as finances, childcare, learning, schooling, daily care and behaviour. Lean more at alberta.ca/family-social-caregiver-supports.aspx.
Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL)
Albertans with a long-term disability, chronic or terminal illness can receive financial assistance by AADL to buy medical equipment and supplies. This service will help with things like walkers, diapers, specialized bracing, specialized seating, catheters, wound and ostomy supplies and much more.
Families are responsible to pay a portion of the cost, but there is a yearly out-of-pocket maximum. Make sure you take note of when the year cycle starts, as it is usually not January to January.
Disability tax credit
Take a moment to do the eligibility survey to see if you or your child is eligible. Many eligible people don’t apply!
The disability amount is a non-refundable tax credit that a person with a severe and prolonged impairment in physical or mental functions can claim to reduce the amount of income tax.
You and your practitioner will need to fill out FORM T2201, DISABILITY TAX CREDIT CERTIFICATE.
Call 1-800-387-1193, or visit cra-arc.gc.ca.
Disability parking placard
Your pediatrician or physical therapist can do this paperwork for you. To be eligible you or your child must be unable to walk more than 50 metres (150 feet). Short-term, long-term and permanent disability placards are available. Fill out the paperwork in your child’s name even though you are the driver. The registry service also needs a copy of the child’s birth certificate. Placard holders also have the option for license plates with a disability logo.
Go to servicealberta.ca to learn more.
Vehicles displaying the provincially issued disabled placard are permitted to park at City of Edmonton parking meters.
Disabled placard holders are permitted to park at on-street parking meters free of charge for the specified duration of the meter:
- 15 minutes free parking at 15-minute meters
- 30 minutes free parking at 30-minute meters
- Two hours free parking at two-hour meters
- Five hours free parking at five-hour meters
Get all the details by calling 311 or visiting
edmonton.ca/programs_services/for_people_with_special_needs/accessible-parking.aspx.
Early intervention Program
This program offers good help – take the time to call if your child is between birth and three and a half years old. They will offer you guidance.
Early Intervention provides support and information to families who have a child with two or more developmental delays or a diagnosed disability aged between newborn and three and a half years old. An early interventionist can come to the home to give developmental strategies, offer parent support, and help navigate accessing community agencies and resources. They offer playgroups, parent groups, and they are a wealth of knowledge.
Parents should call if they have concerns about their child regarding attention, movement, feeding, hearing, behaviour, social interaction or overall development.
Please visit the following links for more details about this service at various locations.
- Alberta School for the Deaf
- Connect Society, south entrance
6240 113 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6H 3L2
(780) 454-9581 - Children and Youth Centre
- Room 101 – 3 Spruce Avenue,
Sherwood Park, Alberta T8A 2B6
(780) 640-9401 - Dickinsfield Mall – Room 25 – 9228 144 Ave.,
Edmonton, Alberta T5E 6A3 (780) 342-1707 - Spruce Grove Health Unit – Suite 110 – 505 Queen St.,
Spruce Grove, Alberta T7X 2V2
(780) 342-1300 - Transitions St. Albert – 365 Carleton Drive,
St. Albert, Alberta T8N 7L1
(780) 458-7371
- Room 101 – 3 Spruce Avenue,
Employment Insurance (EI) special benefits for parents of critically ill children
If you are absent from work to care for a critically injured or ill child and you meet the criteria below, you might be entitled to receive EI special benefit (PCIC).
To be eligible for the PCIC benefit, your regular weekly earnings from work have decreased by more than 40 per cent because you need to provide care or support to your critically ill or injured child; you have accumulated 600 insured hours of work in the 52 weeks prior to the start of your claim, or since the start of your last claim, whichever is shorter (this period is called the qualifying period); you are the parent of a child who is critically ill or injured; your child is under 18 years of age at the time the 52-week window during which PCIC benefits can be paid opens, based on the date the specialist or medical doctor states that your child became critically ill or injured.
Contact servicecanada.gc.ca or your unemployment office for details.
Family support for children with Disabilities (FSCD)
FSCD offers support for respite, child care, sibling care, mileage, clothing allowance, domestic assistance, and more. If your child has impairment in two areas (speech, gross motor, fine motor, self care) ask about specialized services.
Call (780) 427-4354 or visit alberta.ca/childrens-services.aspx.
Additionally, alberta.ca/fscd.aspx features helpful information of FSCD and frequently asked questions.
This is a crucial step. Take the time to fill out the paperwork or have a social worker help you. You need to have a diagnosis for your child. This program offers assistance for respite care, shoes, home making, mileage, parking and other services. Don’t let the name deter you from looking into this – they offer support for a large variety of conditions. They do not give you retroactive pay, however, so call sooner rather than later.
Health Link Alberta
This is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week province-wide nurse telephone advice and health information service. Call toll-free at 1-866-408-LINK or call Edmonton Capital Health Link at (780) 408-LINK.
If your child is sick and you are calling for health advice you must be with your child so they can do an assessment with you over the phone.
Visit albertahealthservices.ca/assets/healthinfo/link/index.html
Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB)
This is a national program that provides coverage to registered First Nations and recognized Inuit families. Non-Insured Health Benefit Program helps cover the costs of a limited range of goods and services that aren’t covered by primary health coverage
To find out more about the NIHB, please contact First Nations & Inuit Health at (780) 495-2694, or toll free at 1-800-232-7301.
Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program – RRAP for persons with disabilities
RRAP offers financial assistance to allow homeowners and landlords pay for modifications to make their property more accessible to persons with disabilities. Call them at 1-800-668-2642 or visit them on the internet at servicecanada.gc.ca.
Savings plans
Registered disability savings programs
- Registered Disability Savings Plan
- Canadian Disability Savings Grant
- Canadian Disability Savings Bond
A Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) helps Canadians with disabilities and their families save for the future. Anyone who is eligible for the disability tax credit and is under the age of 60 may be eligible for an RDSP.
How do I apply?
- Obtain a social insurance number for your child.
1-800-622-6232
servicecanada.gc.ca - Open an RDSP at the major financial institution of your choice and apply for the grant and the bond.
disabilitysavings.gc.ca
