Special Services at Home

The Special Services at Home (SSAH) Program helps families who are caring for a child with a developmental or physical disability. It is funded and managed by the Ministry of Community and Social Services.

The program helps families pay for special services in or outside the family home as long as the child is not receiving support from a residential program. For example, the family can hire someone to:

• help the child learn new skills and abilities, such as improving their communications skills and becoming more independent
• provide respite support to the family - families can get money to pay for services that will give them a break (or "respite") from the day-to-day care of their child

The amount of money a family receives depends on:

• the type and amount of service the child needs
• what other help is available in the community
• what kind of support the family is already receiving

Who can get help?

You can apply for this support if your child:

• has a developmental and/or physical disability
• lives in Ontario
• is under the age of 18
• needs more support than you can provide
• lives at home with you, or is not living at home with you and is not being helped by other residential services

How to apply for your child

Review the program guidelines and the April 2020 addendum for more information about temporary changes to eligible expenses, while communities are under COVID-19 resrictions. Download and complete an application form.

Resources to help fill out SSAH application:

• Surrey Place- Resources
• https://hipaa.jotform.com/genevacentre/ssah*You will need to complete the form and a link will be sent to you so you can access the recording on how to complete the SSAH application.
• Holland Bloorview - Workshops and Events
• SSAH Powerpoint Slides