Support you can get in Canada

Some of what your family needs is already paid for by the government. Most parents are never told. Here is what exists, who it is for, and the first step.

This page covers federal programmes only — the ones run from Ottawa. Most of what actually pays for diagnosis, therapy and school support in Canada is decided province by province, and that is often the bigger piece. Check what your own province offers too.

We do not run any of these programmes and we cannot get you a place on one. Who qualifies and what is available does change, so each one below shows when we last checked it and links to the official page.

Getting recognised

Canada has no single disability certificate to apply for. There is no federal card. The nearest thing is being approved for the Disability Tax Credit, and once that is approved it opens the door to several of the others. It is under Money and equipment below.

Getting therapy and early support

Jordan's Principle

What it gives you: Funding for the health, social and educational products and services a First Nations child needs — things like speech therapy, occupational therapy, mental health support, medical equipment, or educational support — without your family having to wait while governments argue over who should pay.
Who it is for: First Nations children living on reserve or in the Yukon. (Inuit children go through a related programme, the Inuit Child First Initiative, instead.)
What it costs: Free. There's no fee for a First Nations child to access Jordan's Principle, and staff help with the request at no cost.
How to start: For anything urgent, call the Jordan's Principle Call Centre any time, day or night, at 1-855-JP-CHILD (1-855-572-4453). For non-urgent requests, contact your regional focal point or a local service coordinator.
What to take with you: Your child's name and date of birth, and either their registration details under the Indian Act or confirmation they're recognised by their First Nation; a completed request form with a cost breakdown; and a letter from a health professional, educational professional, Elder or Knowledge Keeper linking the request to your child's needs.
Who runs it: Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), following the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling establishing Jordan's Principle

Read the official page

Checked 7 September 2026.

Money and equipment

Disability Tax Credit (DTC)

Also called DTC

What it gives you: A tax credit that lowers how much income tax your family pays, to help with the extra cost of raising a child who needs significant day-to-day support. It's also the gateway credit: your child needs to be approved for it before you can open a Registered Disability Savings Plan or receive the Child Disability Benefit.
Who it is for: Your child's doctor or another qualified medical practitioner has to certify a severe, long-lasting difficulty in at least one of nine areas the tax agency lists — including 'mental functions necessary for everyday life,' which covers things like adapting to change, remembering simple instructions, and understanding the consequences of a decision. The difficulty needs to be there almost all the time (at least 90%) and expected to last 12 months or more, even with therapy, medication or support in place.
What it costs: The tax agency's page doesn't mention a fee anywhere for filing the form. Your child's medical practitioner may charge for their part of it — that cost isn't set or covered by government.
How to start: Download Form T2201 (Disability Tax Credit Certificate). You complete Part A; your child's medical practitioner certifies Part B. Submit it through CRA My Account or by mail.
What to take with you: Form T2201, completed by you and your child's medical practitioner.
Who runs it: Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

Read the official page

Checked 7 September 2026.

Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP)

Also called RDSP

What it gives you: A long-term savings account for your child's future where the government adds its own money on top of yours. Depending on your family income, Ottawa can add up to $3,500 a year in matching grants (up to $70,000 over your child's lifetime), plus up to $1,000 a year in a bond that doesn't need any contribution from you at all if your family income is low enough (up to $20,000 lifetime).
Who it is for: Your child must already be approved for the Disability Tax Credit before a plan can be opened in their name. An eligible person or organisation opens the plan on the child's behalf.
What it costs: The government's own pages don't mention a fee to register the plan or to apply for the grant and bond. The plan itself is opened and held at a bank or credit union, not with the government directly, and the official pages don't say whether the institution charges anything.
How to start: Once your child is approved for the Disability Tax Credit, open the plan directly at a participating financial institution.
Who runs it: Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) / Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

Read the official page

Checked 7 September 2026.

Child Disability Benefit (CDB)

Also called CDB

What it gives you: A tax-free monthly payment on top of the Canada Child Benefit, worth up to $290 a month (up to $3,480 a year) for each child under 18 who qualifies. It starts being reduced once your family income passes $82,847 a year.
Who it is for: You need to already be getting the Canada Child Benefit, and your child needs to be approved for the Disability Tax Credit — the same medical certification described above.
What it costs: Free. It's a payment to you, not something you pay for.
How to start: If you already get the Canada Child Benefit for a child approved for the Disability Tax Credit, the CDB is added automatically — you don't need to apply separately.
Who runs it: Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

Read the official page

Checked 7 September 2026.

Canada Caregiver Credit (CCC)

Also called CCC

What it gives you: A tax credit worth $2,687 for a child under 18 who has a physical or mental condition and needs substantially more day-to-day care than other children their age. It lowers the income tax your family owes; it isn't a cash payment.
Who it is for: A medical practitioner needs to confirm your child 'needs much more help' with personal care and daily activities than other children of the same age, because of a physical or mental condition, and regularly depends on you for it.
What it costs: The tax agency's page doesn't mention any fee to claim it.
How to start: Claim it on your tax return: complete Schedule 5 and enter the amount on line 30500 for a child under 18.
Who runs it: Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

Read the official page

Checked 7 September 2026.

Canada Disability Benefit

What it gives you: A monthly payment for people with disabilities aged 18 to 64 on a lower income. It isn't something for your child right now, but it's worth knowing about for when they turn 18: the maximum is $204.20 a month (about $2,450 a year) for July 2026 to June 2027, on top of a one-off $150 payment starting in Fall 2026.
Who it is for: Your child needs to be approved for the Disability Tax Credit, be between 18 and 64 years old, and have filed a tax return for the relevant year — along with a spouse or partner's return, if they have one. The full amount is reduced as household income rises above set thresholds ($23,000 for a single person, $32,500 for a couple).
What it costs: Free — it's a monthly payment, not something you pay for.
How to start: Apply online, in person at a Service Canada office, or by phone. You can apply up to 6 months before your child turns 18.
Who runs it: Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), under the Canada Disability Benefit Act

Read the official page

Checked 7 September 2026.

School

School support in Canada is decided by your province or territory, not federally, so there is nothing for us to list here. Your provincial or territorial ministry of education is where this lives. It is also who you ask about an individual education plan, the written plan a school makes for a child who needs extra support.

If you're told no

Discrimination complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Commission

What it gives you: A way to complain when your child has been discriminated against because of their disability, and to have that complaint investigated. The Canadian Human Rights Commission looks into it. If there is enough to go on, it can send your case to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, which can order the organisation to change what it does and to pay compensation.
Who it is for: This is for discrimination by the federal government or by something the federal government regulates: a bank, an airline, a phone or internet company, Canada Post, an interprovincial train or trucking company, or a First Nations government. Disability is one of the 13 grounds the Canadian Human Rights Act protects, so unfair treatment because of your child’s disability counts. If the organisation is not on that list, this is not the place, and filing here costs you time you may not have. Anything run by your province or territory goes to your provincial or territorial human rights agency instead. The Commission has a page that checks this for you before you file.
What it costs: Free. There is no fee to file.
How to start: File online through the Commission’s complaint form. You can also download the form and send it by email, mail or fax. Try to file within 12 months of what happened.
Who runs it: Canadian Human Rights Commission, under the Canadian Human Rights Act

Read the official page

Checked 11 September 2026.

If you need to talk to someone now

These are free and run by the government.

988 Suicide Crisis Helpline — 988, or text 988. Call or text, 24/7, in English and French. For anyone in Canada.
Kids Help Phone — 1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868. 24/7, for ages 5 to 29.