Government and Other Sponsored Funding for Self-Directed Support
- Lindsay O'Connell
- Dec 1, 2025
- 7 min read
Ontario offers several government funded programs that provide direct funding to individuals and families to purchase supports and services in the community. These programs allow recipients to choose their own providers and direct how funding is used, outside of residential or group home settings. The programs listed below are organized by age group and ministry.
Children and Youth Under 18 (Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services)
Special Services at Home (SSAH)
SSAH provides direct funding to families caring for a child or youth under 18 with a developmental and/or physical disability. Funding can be used for personal development and growth supports (skill building, community participation) and for family relief and respite. SSAH is a reimbursement program where families submit receipts for eligible expenses. Families choose their own support workers and determine how funding is used based on the child's needs.
Enhanced Respite for Medically Fragile and/or Technology Dependent Children and Youth
This program provides funding directly to families of children under 18 who are medically fragile and/or technology dependent and require care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Families may be eligible for up to $4,130 annually per child to purchase respite services. This funding can be provided in addition to other respite services the family may receive.
In and Out of Home Respite Services
These programs provide respite care for children with special needs up to age 18 who live at home. Services include in home respite (a provider comes to the family's home) and out of home respite (the child stays in a setting outside the family home for a short period). Each child has a Plan of Care based on principles of family and child centred planning, self determination, and choice.
Ontario Autism Program (OAP)
The OAP provides needs based funding and services for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder. Families can use direct funding to purchase clinical services from qualified providers of their choosing, including applied behaviour analysis, speech language pathology, and occupational therapy. The program also includes caregiver mediated early years programs for children 12 to 48 months, an entry to school program, foundational family services, and an urgent response service.
Complex Special Needs (CSN)
CSN provides individualized service plans for children and youth whose complexity of need is beyond the capacity of the family and local services to address. CSN service plans may include in home respite, behaviour management, and other services appropriate to the needs of the child and family. Each child has an individualized plan reviewed annually that reflects an assessment of needs, strengths, and goals. CSN also includes community enhancement and intensive child and family services components.
Ministry of Health Programs
Family Managed Home Care (FMHC)
The FMHC program, funded by the Ministry of Health, provides eligible patients or their substitute decision makers with funding to purchase home care services or employ care providers directly. This offers greater flexibility and choice, as those approved for the program choose their provider, determine how and when the care plan is delivered, and handle all related administrative tasks including managing providers, funding, and reporting. Patients must first be assessed by Ontario Health atHome to determine their needs and eligibility. In 2022, the Ministry updated the definition of Substitute Decision Maker to remove guardianship as a barrier to accessing FMHC funding for adults with developmental disabilities.
Assistive Devices Program (ADP)
The Assistive Devices Program is a Ministry of Health program that helps Ontario residents with long term physical disabilities pay for customized equipment and specialized supplies. ADP covers over 8,000 types of equipment and supplies, including wheelchairs, hearing aids, communication devices, prosthetics, orthotics, and ostomy supplies. ADP typically pays 75% of the approved cost, with the individual responsible for the remaining 25%. For individuals receiving Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), or Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD), ADP pays 100% of the approved price. Equipment must be prescribed by a health care professional registered with the program and purchased from a registered vendor. ADP does not cover incontinence supplies (see Incontinence Supplies Grant Program below).
Home and Vehicle Modification Program (HVMP)
The Home and Vehicle Modification Program is funded by the Ontario Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility and administered by March of Dimes Canada. The program provides funding for basic home and vehicle modifications for permanent Ontario residents of any age with a substantial physical impairment expected to last one year or more. Modifications are intended to reduce or eliminate physical barriers that create life safety risks, enabling children and adults with mobility restrictions to remain in their homes and participate in their communities. Funding of up to $15,000 is available, and applicants with gross annual income over $35,000 may be required to contribute toward costs. Applicants must have exhausted other available sources of public or private funding before applying.
Incontinence Supplies Grant Program
The Incontinence Supplies Grant Program is funded by the Ministry of Health and administered by Easter Seals Ontario. The program provides annual grants, paid in two installments, to help families offset the cost of incontinence supplies (diapers, pull ups, catheters, and drainage bags) for children and youth ages 3 to 18 with chronic physical or developmental disabilities that result in irreversible incontinence lasting longer than six months. Some children under 3 may be eligible depending on diagnosis. A Top Up Grant, funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, provides additional funding each year to families who receive both the Incontinence Supplies Grant and Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD). Families receiving Ontario Works or ODSP are not eligible for the Top Up Grant but may apply for incontinence supplies through the Mandatory Special Necessities benefit.
Adults 18 and Over (Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services)
Developmental Services Ontario (DSO)
DSO is the access point for adult developmental services funded by MCCSS. Adults 18 and over with a developmental disability can apply through their local DSO office to be assessed for services and supports. DSO uses the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) to assess support needs and connects individuals to available community services including Passport funding, community participation supports, specialized services, and housing supports.
Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
ODSP is a provincial income support program administered by MCCSS for Ontario residents 18 and over with a disability who are in financial need. ODSP provides monthly income support to help cover basic living expenses including food, housing, and clothing, as well as health benefits including prescription drug coverage, dental care, vision care, and coverage for surgical, diabetic, and incontinence supplies. As of July 2025, a single individual may receive up to $1,408 per month for basic needs and shelter. ODSP rates are indexed to inflation and adjusted annually each July. Eligibility requires a physical or mental disability expected to last one year or more that substantially limits the person's ability to work, care for themselves, or carry out daily activities. ODSP recipients who work can earn up to $1,000 per month without any reduction in benefits. ODSP recipients are also eligible for 100% coverage of Assistive Devices Program approved equipment. Applications can be submitted online, and individuals can begin the process up to six months before turning 18.
Passport Program
Passport is a reimbursement program that helps adults 18 and over with a developmental disability participate in their communities and live as independently as possible. All qualifying recipients receive a minimum of $5,500 per year, with some eligible for up to $44,275 based on assessed needs. Funding covers community participation supports, activities of daily living, person directed planning, caregiver respite, and technology (up to $3,000 per year). Recipients can choose to manage their own funding directly or have a local agency administer it on their behalf.
Individualized and Self-Directed Funding
MCCSS funds individualized supports for adults with developmental disabilities through local Transfer Payment Agencies. In some cases, individualized funding can be directed by the individual and their family, with oversight provided by a governance structure such as a Microboard. MCCSS's Journey to Belonging framework, released in 2021, sets out a long term vision for developmental services reform in which people with developmental disabilities are empowered to make choices and live as independently as possible through supports that are person directed, equitable, and sustainable.
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Child Development Program
Holland Bloorview provides outpatient services to children with diagnoses such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, autism, and complex medical conditions. Services range from team and clinic assessments to individual consultation and intervention. The program includes specialty clinics for spasticity, complex epilepsy, feeding, neuromuscular conditions, and psychopharmacology.
Extensive Needs Service
This program serves children and adolescents with urgent and extensive clinical and developmental needs as well as social vulnerabilities. Holland Bloorview has partnered with organizations across the Greater Toronto Area to deliver this service in local communities.
Family Support Fund
The Family Support Fund offers financial support to Holland Bloorview families for equipment, medication, recreational activities, and respite services. Decisions are based on how the funding will affect the client's physical safety, wellness, and overall impact on the family and their financial need. Available to children under 19 receiving clinical care through an OHIP covered service at Holland Bloorview.
Online Family Resources Centre
Holland Bloorview maintains a comprehensive online resource library with tipsheets and links covering SSAH, Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD), Assistive Devices Program, DSO, and other funding and community supports. This is a useful starting point for navigating the various programs available to families of children with disabilities.
Transitions, Recreation and Life Skills
Holland Bloorview offers programs focused on the transition from pediatric to adult services, adapted sports and recreation, employment pathways, and life skills development. Resources include bridging to adulthood tip sheets and an employer resource hub.
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