Family Support for Children with Disabilities
The new Family Support for Children with Disabilities Act is better for families because it:
· Provides supports to families including while their child is awaiting a formal diagnosis
· Recognizes the needs of families, not just the needs of the child
· Promotes better co-ordination and integration of services
· Improves families access to information
· Recognizes families as partners in the planning and decision-making process regarding
services that will best meet their needs
· Ensures greater consistency in families access to support and services across the
province
· Recognizes and respects the ability and responsibility of families as the primary source
of care and support for their child.
The name of the program administered under the new act by Alberta Children and Youth Services has been changed to the Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) program to incorporate the new emphasis on supporting families as they care for their children with disabilities.
FSCD Brochure
The FSCD program is a reimbursement program that provides a range of proactive and family-centered services to assist families in helping their children achieve their potential. The program assists with some of the extraordinary costs of raising a child with a disability.
Two levels of services are identified in the new act:
- Family Support Services
- Child-focused Services
Family Support Services are available to families caring for a child with a diagnosed disability or to families who are awaiting confirmation of their child#s diagnosis. These services are primarily based on the needs as identified by the family.
In addition to information, referral and advocacy supports, family support services also include assistance with counselling, extraordinary clothing and footwear costs, travel costs for medical appointments, meals while traveling to medical appointments, accommodation costs associated with attending medical appointments and respite services.
Child-focused Services are provided when a child has a confirmed diagnosis and assessment information to specify their individual needs. Child-focused services provide a range of respite services, aide supports, child care supports, health-related supports, specialized services for children with severe disabilities and out-of-home living arrangements.
More details on both programs are outlined in the FSCD regulations.
To help make disability-related information more accessible for families, a provincial toll-free phone line was launched on Aug. 3, 2004. The "Child Disability Resource Link" will give callers information about a wide range of government and community supports, services, and resources for children with disabilities and their families.
Information and referral specialists are available to answer you questions weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. by calling toll-free:
1-866-346-4661.
For more information about the new legislation or the Family Support for Children with Disabilities program, please contact your nearest Child and Family Services Authority Office, or the provincial program at (780) 427-2551 (toll-free 310-0000).
Region 7 Child and Family Services Authority District Offices:
Slave Lake Resource Centre
Box 569, 1st Floor, Lakeland Centre
101 Main Street South
Slave Lake, Alberta T0G 2A0
Phone: (780) 849-7220
Fax: (780) 849-7160
Wabasca Resource Centre
Box 569, Main Floor, Lakeland Centre
101 Main Street SE
Slave Lake, Alberta T0G 2A0
Phone: (780) 891-3619
Fax: (780) 891-3985
Athabasca Community Office
3rd Floor, Duniece Centre
4810 - 50th Street
Athabasca, Alberta T9S 1C9
Phone: (780) 675-6870
Fax: (780) 675-2655
Edson Child and Family Services Centre
1st Floor, Provincial Building
111 - 54th Street
Edson, Alberta T7E 1T2
Phone: (780) 723-8325
Fax: (780) 712-7277
Hinton Child and Family Services Centre
1st Floor, Provincial Building
131 Civic Centre Road
Hinton, Alberta T7V 2E7
Phone: (780) 865-8321
Fax: (780) 865-8291
Whitecourt Community Office
2nd Floor, Midtown Mall
5115 - 49th Street
Whitecourt, Alberta T7S 1N9
Phone: (780) 778-7172
Fax: (780) 778-7222
Barrhead Community Office
Box 4517, Provincial Building
6203 - 49th Street
Barrhead, Alberta T7N 1A4
Phone: (780) 674-8321
Fax: (780) 674-8226
Westlock Community Office
10211 - 100th Street
Westlock, Alberta T7P 2G5
Phone: (780) 349-7720
Fax: (780) 349-6168
Lac La Biche District Office
Box 420, Provincial Building
9503 Beaverhill Road
Lac La Biche, Alberta T0A 2C0
Phone: (780) 623-5429
Fax: (780) 623-5420
Bonnyville District Office
Box 6590, New Park Place Building
5201 - 44th Street
Bonnyville, Alberta T9N 2H1
Phone: (780) 826-3324
Fax: (780) 826-7872
Cold Lake Area Office
Box 8038, 2nd Floor Cold Lake Health Centre
314 - 25th Street
Cold Lake, Alberta T9M 1N1
Phone: (780) 639-6136
Fax: (780) 639-6132
St. Paul District Office
2nd Floor, Provincial Building
5025 - 49th Avenue
St. Paul, Alberta T0A 3A4
Phone: (780) 645-6370
Fax: (780) 645-6404
