Special Needs Grants

Enhancing access to healthcare and support for children with special needs in military families.

Because of the unique nature of their lifestyles, Canadian military families can experience a great deal of stress in finding and receiving appropriate healthcare. Newly posted military families often find themselves on wait lists for medical care. For a military family with a special needs child the challenges can be truly daunting.

Beyond significant wait times, military families caring for a child with special needs often lose access to critical services such as occupational therapy, speech language pathology, or physiotherapy when relocating. As a result, a child can go without specialized care for extended periods of time.

Military families with special needs dependents can apply year-round for a Special Needs Grant to assist with assessments and reassessments, as well as to offset some of the extraordinary costs associated with things like specialized devices, respite care, therapy, and medical travel.
Eligible applicants can apply to receive grant assistance in the following categories:
  • Assessments and Reassessments: up to $1,500 per 12-month period to assist with residual amounts not covered by federal, provincial, or local resources, or personal insurance
    • Examples include but not limited to, psychoeducational assessment, psychological assessment, speech therapy assessment, and occupational therapy assessment
    • More than one application can be submitted within the 12-month period until the maximum grant amount is reached
    • A 12-month period starts on the first approved application of that year
  • Other: up to $1,500 per 12-month period to assist with offsetting the costs associated with assistive devices (electronic devices and accessories, sensory items, etc.), respite care and tutoring services provided by an individual/organization that holds necessary credentials to support, various therapies, medical travel, prescriptions not covered by insurance, etc.
    • More than one application can be submitted within the 12-month period until the maximum grant amount is reached
    • A 12-month period starts on the first approved application of that year

Regular and Reserve Force serving members with a dependent family member with a diagnosed physical, intellectual, or emotional condition requiring special medical or educational services are eligible for a Special Needs Grant. Please note the dependent(s) are required to be listed on the member’s MPRR.

What You Need To Apply:

Complete the following forms: (red contains hyper link to form)
  • Schedule A (complete and include for every new submission throughout the 12-month period)
  • Schedule F (complete and include for every new submission throughout the 12-month period)
  • SOT Expense Tracker (required for submitting multiple receipts and insurance statements such as Sun Life, Canada Life, etc.)
Include:
  • A VOID cheque or banking details of the serving member or joint with the serving member
Supporting documents:
For the Assessment/Reassessment Category:
  • Referral or Recommendation – include a letter from medical/educational professional with the specific assessment or reassessment required OR highlight where written within the assessment report (usually included at the end of the report or included within the first paragraphs of the new assessment report). Referral or recommendation must clearly identify the service required.
  • Paid Invoice(s) or Receipt(s) – include eligible dates within 6 months of application/submission date. This also applies to service dates with health care professionals.
  • Insurance Statement(s) – include (as applicable) detailed Sun Life/Canada Life or other provider statement(s) Note: For families with dual insurance (member and spouse or member and member), paid invoices or receipts are submitted to both insurances as per their policy prior to applying to Support Our Troops.
  • Expense Tracker (as indicated above) – complete and include with applications that contain multiple paid invoices/receipts and cross-reference with matching insurance statements. Insurance statement noting the maximum reached is required.  
 
For the Other Category:
  • Diagnosis (required for initial application only) – include letter confirmation of diagnosis from medical professional or highlight written confirmation within an assessment report.
  • Referral or Recommendation – include letter from medical/educational professional with specifics of referral/recommendation or highlight written referral/recommendation within the assessment report (usually included at the end of the report) Referral or recommendation must clearly identify the service required.
  • Assistive Devices/Equipment (wheel chair, hearing aids, etc.) - Support Our Troops considers grant assistance after all other available support is accessed. Is coverage available through the province under an Assistive Devices Program (ADP)? If yes, include confirmation of coverage of specific item in the application package.
  • Insurance Statement(s) – include (as applicable) detailed Sun Life/Canada Life or other applicable provider statement(s) Note: For families with dual insurance (serving member and spouse or both serving members), paid invoices or receipts are submitted to both insurances as per their policy prior to applying to Support Our Troops. (see instruction sheet attached for capturing Sun Life details)
  • Paid Invoice(s) and/or Receipt(s) – include eligible dates within 6 months of application/submission date. This also applies to service dates with health care professionals.
  • Expense Tracker – complete and include with applications that include multiple paid invoices/receipts and cross-reference with matching insurance statements. Insurance statement noting the maximum reached is required.  
How to submit your application: (red contains hyper link to contacts)
 
Submit your completed application package (forms and all supporting documents) to your local SISIP Financial Counsellor, MFRC, or the Support Our Troops Contact in your area. Please note: Incomplete applications will be returned.
 
 
Special Needs Grants are for the spouse/partner and/or dependent(s) of serving members only
Support Our Troops Fund Coordinator

Email:  DesRoches.Lorie@cfmws.com

 

Application forms and contact lists
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