BC Family Residence Program

Family Accommodation Support. 

What is BC Family Residence Program (BCFRP)?

Variety administers the BC Family Residence Program on behalf of the Government of BC/Provincial Health Services Authority to provide accommodation assistance for families while a child requires care at BC Children’s Hospital and/or Sunny Hill Health Centre, BC Cancer Agency (Vancouver location) and babies in the Neo-natal unit at BC Women’s Hospital.

Accommodation Arrangements

Accommodation arrangements are provided at convenient locations in the Vancouver/Richmond area for families with a child, aged 18 years and under, including premature babies and newborns with other health concerns. The program provides accommodation assistance to a family for one room up to 30 days per medical visit.

Accommodation Assistance is available for BC residents who:

  1. Are a resident of BC and have a Care Card/PHN number issued by Medical Services Plan of BC.

  2. Are a child 18 years or younger, who is receiving medical care at BC Children’s Hospital and/or Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, BC Cancer Agency (Vancouver location) and NICU at BC Women’s Hospital.

  3. Live outside Metro Vancouver (not including Anmore, Belcarra, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Langley, Lions Bay, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver, White Rock, West Vancouver and Electoral Area A).


Note: residents of Bowen Island and island communities within Electoral Area A are eligible for the Accommodation Subsidy due to the requirement of ferry travel. Please consult the Metro Vancouver website to determine if you reside within these boundaries.

Resources

BC Children’s Hospital

Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Phone: 604- 875-2149
Fax: 604- 875-2770

Weekend, Universal Closure Day and Statutory Holiday coverage is available from 10:30 am to 10:30 pm by paging 604-877-2902

BC Women’s for NICU Families

Monday-Friday

8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Phone: 604- 875-2149
BC Women

Weekends + Holidays

Call 604-875-2161 and ask for pager 1479.
Available 7:30 am to 7:30 pm

Travel Resources

Please note: The following organizations are not affiliated with BCFRP but may be helpful resources with Transportation for medical visits outside of your home community.

Hope Air

Provides free air travel for eligible families travelling for medical care. 

You can go to their website at hopeair.ca and fill out a travel request form or call 1.877.346-HOPE (4673).

Northern Health Connections

Call 1-888-647-4997
nhconnections.ca

TAP BC – Travel Assistance Program 

Helps alleviate some of the transportation costs for eligible BC residents who must travel within the province for non-emergency medical specialist services not available in their own community.

Your physician, nurse practitioner, or specialty clinic will provide the TAP form and complete most of it for you.  They should be able to give you next steps and further information about this program.  

You can also google Travel Assistance Program (TAP BC) and it will take you directly to the TAP BC government website with all the information about this program.

Community Resources

  • Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island
  • Cops for Kids – Cops for Kids is devoted to helping little hearts in the Southern Interior Region of British Columbia.
  • First Nations Health Authority – The FHNA plans, designs, manages and funds the delivery of First Nations health programs across BC.
  • YANA (You Are Not Alone) is a community organization that provides financial support and accommodation to Comox Valley families who need to travel for medical treatment for a child or for a pregnant mother.

A Few Things to Note

Accomdation Costs?

For eligible families, the BC Family Residence Program (BCFRP) covers accommodation costs for all eligible dates. BCFRP provides coverage for one room per family of patient.

Confirmations Needed?

Confirmation of the dates of medical treatment or duration of visit at BC Children’s Hospital and/or Sunny Hill Health Centre, BCCA and the NICU @ BC Women’s is confirmed by a patient services representative at BC Children’s Hospital.

Your own arrangements?

Families who wish to make their own arrangements for accommodation are responsible for the cost of that accommodation.

Download the BCFRP Self Booking Guidelines for more information.

Download these guidelines if you are staying at Ronald McDonald House.

Payment to facilities?

Payment of the accommodation subsidy is made directly to the facilities approved by the program.

Payments to families?

No funds will be provided directly to the patient or their family.

What's not covered?

Local transportation costs, meals or other personal expenses are the responsibility of the patient or the patient’s family.

BC Family Residence Program

Download Guidelines and then Apply for BCFRP Assistance by email.

Do you meet the following criteria:

  1. Child seeking help is between birth and their 19th birthday. (Note: for autism assessment, the child seeking help must be 4 years or under.)
  2. B.C. or Yukon resident for a minimum of three months with a valid Health Care Card.
  3. Qualified special need (medical/developmental) as recognized by a designated professional. (This does not apply to private autism and psychoeducational assessments or mental wellness requests)
  4. Financial circumstance that limits the ability to afford the item or service required (Variety is currently able to consider requests from households with an annual income of up to $85,000).
You answered no to either or both questions above, click Close and refer to the Child Grant Supporting Document Checklists.

To be considered, the grant application must be completed together with supporting documents.