The B.C. government has announced that they are extending the pandemic support being offered to children and youth with special needs and their families.
The government aid will be extended an additional three months from July through to September.
“COVID-19 has turned our world upside down and we need to do all we can to support young people and families who are still struggling,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development. “As a province, we’re moving ahead with a restart plan focused on restoring services that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. In the meantime, vulnerable youth and families can continue to rely on interim supports to help them through this time of transition.”
The short-term Emergency Relief Support fund for children and youth with special needs provides $225 per month to eligible families.
The BC government also said the temporary suspension on maintenance payments for children on special needs agreements will remain in place until the end of August. Flexible use of respite funding will continue for families until March 31, 2021, as well.
The expanded parameters on services that can be purchased with autism funding, which allows families to use up to 35 percent of the funding to buy equipment and items that help with at-home learning, will also remain in place until the end of August.
In addition, the government said they are extending measures for youth and young adults to September 30. Any youth living in foster care, contracted residential agencies or with relatives through the extended family program will be able to stay where they are, even if they are set to age out of the care programs.
The government outlined that independent living and youth agreements will be extended as well and participants in the Agreements with Young Adults (AYA) program can continue to receive funding.
The Ministry of Children and Family Development said in a press release that “any paused AYA time during the pandemic, or the inability for a youth to find employment because of COVID-19 during a natural program break, will not count toward the maximum 48-month program duration or age limit of 27.”
In the coming weeks, the government said social workers will be reaching out to youth and young adults to support them with these modified agreements and extensions. The Ministry is also encouraging any families accessing children and youth with special needs (CYSN) supports to contact their local ministry office to receive advice on how they can benefit from the added emergency pandemic support.
Graham Cox
