Funding Options
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FaHCSIA Funding - Better Start for Children With Disability Program
More information on this Funding Option will be loaded shortly.
To download a Mater Dei summary of the Equipment & Resource Purchase Guidelines, please click here.
To download a Mater Dei Consent to Purchase Form, please click here.
Family Assistance Fund
What is the Family Assistance Fund?
The Family Assistance Fund provides small amounts of one-off funding for families to purchase services and equipment to help them care for their child with a disability at home and increase family well-being. Funding can be used to make practical changes at home, provide support for individual family members that is otherwise unavailable and to purchase non-recurrent assistive equipment. The funding helps families to address specific needsand stresses before they become a crisis and to make a difference in the care of the child or young person with a disability.
What can be funded?
Examples of how Family Assistance funding can be used include:
- purchase of assistive equipment;
- resources to promote play activities and interaction between children/young people in the family;
- recreation activities for both the child with a disability and other children in the family;
- services to increase parenting skills, communication and improve family routines in the longer term;
- counselling for family members;
- equipment/support to assist the child or family’s community involvement modifications to the house and car to provide a safe environment, household equipment such as a washing machine or clothes dryer to assist with laundry for children with incontinence
Funding is available for each child with a disability within a family. Families can also make a financial contribution towards costs.
What is excluded?
Funding is provided strictly on a one-off basis. The Family Assistance Fund will not provide funding to:
- purchase any item or support that has ongoing, long term or recurrent costs;
- duplicate existing services/funding;
- fund shortfalls in existing services;
- act as bridging funding while awaiting longer term care options;
- where the support service(s) or aids requested are available through other NSW or Australian Government programs;
- provide clinical assessment or therapy;
- provide out-of-home placements and respite;
- purchase basic items such as food/clothing.
Who can get funding?
The Fund is accessible to families caring for a child or young person under 18 years of age who is eligible and receiving a service from ADHC or a ADHC funded non-government service. The child or young person with a disability must be living with their family.
Priority will be given to families:
- on low to moderate incomes;
- where the care of the child or young person with a disability is having a significant impact on the well-being of their siblings;
- with little or no access to extended family support or local community support;
- living in isolated areas;
- who have not received Family Assistance Funding previously.
Eligibility does not automatically mean that a family will receive funding.
How do families apply?
If you think your family is eligible and you would like to apply for this funding, please contact Pamela Templeton on (02) 4655 7481 or by email.
