Relief fund set up for special needs children in B.C.

Families of children with special needs will receive an extra $225 a month for April, May and June to help during the COVID-19 pandemic.

B.C. Minister of Children and Family Development Katrine Conroy said she has heard from families of kids with special needs that they’re facing a lot of uncertainty and challenges.

The Emergency Relief Support Fund for children and youth with special needs and their families will provide a direct payment of $225 per month to eligible families over the next three months until June 30.

Conroy said the payment will help alleviate some stress such as grocery-shopping assistance, counselling and caregiver relief support.

The government also said families with kids in care on special-needs or voluntary-care agreements will not have to make monthly maintenance payments for the duration of the pandemic period.

This will provide temporary relief to parents who may be struggling with income or housing insecurity related to the pandemic, the ministry said.

Supported child-development programs will be able to extend extra staffing during school hours to help with the reduced availability of schoolbased services. Children of parents who are essential-service providers and need extra staffing supports for their child will continue to receive those throughout the pandemic period.

The ministry said families may direct their child’s autism funding to access family counselling and therapy services with a qualified provider for all age categories accessing the Autism Funding program.

The relief funding is part of the B.C. government’s $5-billion COVID-19 plan to provide income supports, tax relief and direct funding for people, businesses and services.