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FAQ
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Find out if you qualify for a Child Grant

We Support Families

At Variety, our vision is to empower every child with disabilities and complex health needs to reach their unique potential.

To achieve this vision we step in where health care ends to fund equipment and services by giving grants to families.

Child grants you can apply for are listed here, however please visit each of there individual pages for more information:

  • Adaptive/Mobility Equipment
  • Mental Wellness
  • Private Assessments
  • Specialized Therapies
  • Tuition & Tutoring

Type 1 Diabetes Support (has a different set of eligibility requirements and granting process than the above child grants).

To apply for a grant from Variety, we recommend developing an understanding of:

  • What Variety covers under the grant you wish to apply for
  • Our eligibility requirements
  • The application and grant process
  • The supporting documents you’ll need to complete the application process
  • Related grants that your family might be eligible for

Eligibility Requirements for Child Grants

To qualify for our grants, families must meet the following criteria:

  1. The grant must be for a child who is between birth and their 19th birthday. (Note: for autism assessment, the child seeking help must be 4 years or under.)
  2. The child must be a resident of B.C. or Yukon and must have resided here for a minimum of three months.
  3. The child must have a valid Health Care Card.
  4. The grant must be for a child with a qualified medical or developmental special need, recognized by a designated professional. (This does not apply to private autism and psychoeducational assessments or mental wellness requests)
  5. The family must have limited financial resources to afford the item or service required. (We are currently able to consider requests from households with an annual income of up to $85,000).

Please Note:

  • Families can apply for up to two grants in one fiscal year (October through September) with one application and one set of supporting documents.
  • Click here for information about our Type 1 Diabetes Support that has different eligibility requirements.

Maximum grant amounts, per fiscal year (Oct-Sep) given to each family, per type of child grant

  • Maximum: Adaptive & mobility equipment: $4000
  • Maximum: Van conversion: $7,500
  • Maximum: Mental wellness counselling: $2,500
  • Maximum: Specialized therapies: $2,500
  • Maximum: Autism and psychoeducational assessments: $4,000
  • Maximum: Tutoring bursary for learning disabilities: $1,500
  • Maximum: Tuition (school fees): $4,000
  • Maximum: Type 1 Diabetes Support is based on your PharmaCare Maximum Family Deductible (Slightly different than our other child grant maximums above). 
Apply

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can complete an application?

An application can be started by a parent/caregiver, healthcare professional, social worker, support worker, teacher etc. but must be signed and submitted by the primary parent/caregiver.

When to apply or re-apply?

Most requests for child grants are considered year round, but all grants expire on September 30.

Exceptions: Tuition is reviewed August 1 to October 31 only.

Applications for child grants may be made one time each year and will be given until September 30 (Variety fiscal year end) to complete from the time of approval.

Grants are valid for until September 30 (Variety fiscal year end) and anything unused will be returned to our general funds to support other families. Your “anniversary” date is the start date.

Variety requires a new application and supporting documents annually. All requests for new or renewals start at variety.bc.ca. While you may re-apply before your end date to avoid a lapse in your child’s therapy, new start dates will not be issued before your anniversary date.

What if the Government can fund the item I am applying to Variety for?

Where the Government can fund the item requested (partial or full), Variety requests that you apply to the Government for that particular item first. Variety will consider top ups, by providing funding for items that the Government or private healthcare plan will not cover fully. Variety may consider interim funding for services with an extended wait-time. Written confirmation is required confirming any of these situations.

What can’t I apply for?

No medicines/prescriptions, eye glasses or dental

  1. Services or equipment not directly related to a child’s special/extra needs and which are not deemed medically/developmentally necessary
  2. Alternative or naturopathic treatments or those not provided in person including neuroplasticity or computer stimulationAny program/service or equipment that can be or is paid wholly by government (including Autism, At Home,
  3. Early Intervention, Health Region, First Nations Health, BC Family Residence Program. Top up considered
  4. Behavioral Intervention/Consultation
  5. Funding for any services related to Autism for children under six years old who receive over $22,000 per year in government funding. Except for music therapy will be considered for under six year olds with Autism funding.
  6. Childcare, respite or related programs/services
  7. Warranties, insurance, maintenance, service agreements, batteries, repairs
  8. Administrative fees or operational costs
  9. Vehicles – except: Sunshine Family Van program and van conversions (including van ramp and tie downs) to a maximum of $7,500
  10. Medical services plans, premiums, deductibles – except for type 1 diabetic supplies.
  11. Electronic devices, including Apps or software
  12. Travel costs including: time, gas, mileage, truck or car rentals, parking or insurance
  13. Sports equipment that is non-adaptive or does not support special needs
  14. Non-B.C. residents
  15. Reports, consultations, assessments – except autism/psychoeducational assessments
  16. Autism assessments for child age 5 and over
  17. More than one autism/psychoeducational assessment per child
  18. Expenses that have already been initiated or have already occurred prior to submission or written approval
  19. Incomplete application forms
  20. Those without specific certification or professional credentials to deliver services to clients or the use of assistants
  21. Children or Youth over 19 years old
  22. A child without a personal health number (Care card)
  23. More than two request in one Variety fiscal year over $4000 total
  24. Children under five who qualify for early intervention or services through a Child Development Centre (CDC) or Health Authority (HA). (Top up considered)
  25. Equipment from non-Canadian distributors that cannot be invoiced directly from Variety or services outside Canada
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