Holland Bloorview Family Support Fund

• A client
• A parent/legal guardian/caregiver
• A member of your clinical care team, including community care clinicians (Note: individuals applying on behalf of a client must obtain the client/family’s consent)

The eligibility criteria are as follows:

• A child under the age of 19 who is receiving clinical care and/or therapy through an OHIP-covered service at Holland Bloorview. Please note that if your child only uses fee-for-service programs such as aquatics, dental, or Spiral Garden camp they are not eligible for the Family Support Fund. The fee-for-service programs are not clinical services.
  • Please contact the Family Resource Centre for information on other available funding options.
  • Accessing care through Holland Bloorview after the age of 19 does not qualify your child for this fund.
• The application submission period runs from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, or until funds run out. Should funds run out before the submission deadline, your application might be declined.

The amount of funding that families may receive is based on a few factors:

• Families may request up to $1,000 per fiscal year to cover items within the approved funding categories.
• There are maximums for each category that funding requests must follow, although receiving the maximum funds is not guaranteed. The category maximums are:
  • Equipment ($1,000* max/year)
  • Respite ($750 max/year)
  • Recreation activities ($500 max/year)
  • Medication ($500 max/year)

*Families may request up to $1,500 for a single piece of equipment that is billed on one invoice.

• Families may not apply twice for funding to cover the same item.

• Families may submit more than one funding application per year, however the total amount requested across all applications may not exceed $1,000 per year. When reviewing additional applications, the Family Support Fund considers the total amount previously requested, not the amount approved or funded.

  Example: A family submits an application requesting $800 for equipment. Even if only $300 is approved, the full $800 request counts towards their annual requested limit of $1,000. Therefore, if the family submits a second application in the same year, they may only request up to $200.

The Family Support Fund currently offers financial support for the following categories of items/services:

• Equipment ($1,000* max/year)
• Respite ($750 max/year)
• Recreation activities ($500 max/year)
• Medication ($500 max/year)

*Note: Families may request up to $1,500 for a single piece of equipment that is billed on one invoice.

Click here for a full list of eligible items/services.

Click here for a printable PDF list.

All applications are reviewed by Family Support Fund reviewers who have gone through specialized training. They include Holland Bloorview staff in non-clinical roles, and Family Leaders. 

Funding decisions are based on financial need, and impact of potential funding awarded on client safety, client wellness and family wellness.

What you need to provide depends on what you are applying for. Review the chart below for details

All applications require:

1. Letter of Support from a member of your care team that details your child’s need to access the items/service for which you are applying for funding.
2. Cost estimate from vendor/service provider. This can be either an invoice for services you have yet to pay for, or a receipt for services you have paid for.

Additional requirements depend on the nature of item/service you are applying for:

It is important to know the difference between an invoice and a receipt:

• An invoice is a request for payment before you buy something. It tells you what you're going to pay for and how much it costs. 
• A receipt is proof of purchase after buying something, listing what you bought and how much you paid.
   

Example of a completed respite worker form

Please submit your application using the electronic form here (last updated April 2026):

Application form

 If you have concerns about using the electronic submission form, please consider these options:

• Contact a social worker or case manager within your clinical care team.
• If you have no access to clinical care team members, or to a computer/mobile device with internet, call 416-425-6220 ext. 6303.
   

The Family Support Fund application is available in the following languages: 

• Arabic
• Chinese
• English
• Spanish
• Tamil
• Urdu

To change the form language, at the top right corner of the application, hover over English, click Change Language; language options will appear. Click the language you want to use, and the application will be translated.

For those that require the service, arrangements can be made to involve the services of an interpreter. Please contact fsfdoc@hollandbloorview.ca for a request.

Yes! At anytime, you can scroll to the bottom of the application and click on the button “Save & Return Later”. A pop-up window with a ‘return code’ will appear. Please keep this code, so that, in future, you can access your application. It will look like this:
 

The Family Support Fund team aims to have funding to approved applicants within eight weeks of the date the application is received. However, there are several scenarios that can impact your overall wait time:

• Missing or outdated documentation: If we require updated information (e.g., new quotes or letters of support), your application will be placed on hold until the documents are received. 
• Direct payment to a vendor: If you request that we pay a vendor directly, we must receive an invoice from the vendor before funding can be processed. 
• Missing proof of payment: If proof of payment is not included with your application, we cannot process the approved funding until this documentation is provided.
   

This diagram illustrates a typical application process and the things that can hold up funding decisions:

Text description of the application process

Family Support Fund: Application process overview

Start - Application submitted - does the application have all required documentation?

If "yes"

1. Advance to review
2. Review completed
3. Family is notified of funding decision

If "no"

1. Place application on hold
2. Contact clinician/family to request missing documentation
3. Waiting period; allow up to 2 weeks for submission of documents

4. Documentation received?

   If "yes", go back to step 1

   If "no", application declined

Unfortunately, once an application is approved, we cannot make any changes. If there is a different item/service/vendor you prefer, you can contact us at fsfdoc@hollandbloorview.ca to withdraw your application and re-apply. Please ensure you are certain of your choices before applying, though we understand that changes may be necessary.

• The REDcap platform is simple to use. One message you might encounter is this (see below). If this occurs, please refresh the webpage and try again.

  

   

   

Please contact us at fsfdoc@hollandbloorview.ca.

• An application is placed on hold if we are missing necessary information. This often happens if a support letter or quote is missing, or if the quote is not detailed enough. 
• To avoid this, please ensure that you upload a letter of support with every application that discusses every item/service you are requesting funding for. You may attach more than one letter of support if each letter only discusses some items/services you are applying for. 
• Also, ensure the quote includes the total cost, not just a weekly/monthly fee. If using a website screenshot with weekly/monthly rates, please specify the number of weeks or months you are applying for. 

Due to the high volume of applications to the fund, full funding is not guaranteed. For most families, a portion of the requested amount will be approved.

Email the administrative team at: fsfdoc@hollandbloorview.ca.