One in 10 military families care for a child with special needs. Support Our Troops works to help these families receive the specialized care they need to ease some of the associated stressors with military life. Through the Special Needs Grant, military families with children with special needs, who have often exhausted their savings and access to publicly provided healthcare, can receive the financial support they need and reduce some of the associated stresses. Military families with special needs dependents can apply year-round for a Special Needs Grant. This reimbursement-based fund now offers up to $1,500 per dependent, per 12-month period to assist with assessments and reassessments, as well as to offset some of the extraordinary costs associated with things like specialized devices, respite care, therapy, and medical travel. Military Family Navigators are available to assist families with securing private services, filling out their applications for the Special Needs Grant, and facilitating grant submissions to Support Our Troops.
To learn more, please contact our Information Service Assistants at the Kingston Military Family Resources Centre at 613-541-5010 ext. 5195 or via email at kmfrc@kmfrc.com, to connect with a Military Family Navigator.
By Leigh Wood Landry, KMFRC Military Family Navigator