Financial Assistance

Funds orthodontic treatment for children in Epekwitk / PEI who have an orthodontic anomaly as a result of a cleft palate. Level of funding is 50% - 100% depending on family income and family size.

Covers expenses for specified dental services for income eligible residents. Includes:

• Annual exam
• Emergency dental examination
• Virtual care
• Radiographs
• Polishing
• Scaling
• Pit and fissure sealant
• Fluoride treatment
• Protective mouth guard
• TMJ appliance
• Repair of appliance
• Dental fillings
• Root canal treatment
• Extraction
• Contouring of oral tissues (alveoloplasty) with or without dental extraction)
• New dentures
• Denture repairs
• Emergency treatment of dental pain, minor procedure
• Referral to hospital for dental care
• Nitrous oxide sedation (in the dental office)
• In-clinic laboratory procedures

Services are provided at:

• Four Neighborhood Clinic
• Sherwood Business Centre
• Public Health Clinic
• For private dental offices on PEI see the list

Notes: Application deadline is June 30 each year. Existing recipients must reapply by the deadline to keep the current coverage.

Provides preventative services to children from birth to age 17. The services are provided in schools and dental health clinics in Charlottetown, Summerside and the Tignish Health Centre. Call to find out when the service will be provided in the attended school. Preventative services Includes:

• Annual oral health risk assessment
• Oral health instructions
• Topical fluoride application to prevent tooth decay
• Placement of dental sealants on teeth to prevent tooth decay
• Cleaning and/or polishing of teeth

Note: The annual risk assessment is not a substitute for a child's annual dental checkup

Provides Caregiving Benefits through Employment Insurance. Eligible caregivers could receive financial assistance of up to 55% of their earnings, to a maximum of $638 a week. These benefits will help them take time away from work to provide care or support to a critically ill or injured person or someone needing end-of-life care.

Caregivers do not have to be related to or live with the person they are caring for but they must consider you to be like family. There are three types of caregiving benefits:

• Family Caregiver Benefit for Children: Providing care to a critically ill or injured person under 18 years (maximum weeks payable up to 35 weeks)
• Family Caregiver Benefit for Adults: Providing care to a critically ill or injured person 18 years or older(maximum weeks payable up to 15 weeks)
• Compassionate Care Benefits: A person of any age who requires end-of-life care (maximum weeks payable up to 26 weeks)

Eligible caregivers can receive benefits during the 52 weeks following the date the person is certified by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner to be critically ill or injured or in need of end-of-life care. Eligible caregivers can take the weeks of benefits within this timeframe either all at once or in separate periods.

The weeks of benefits can be shared by eligible caregivers, either at the same time or one after another.

Financial assistance benefit for individuals who are away form work because they are pregnant or have recently given birth or parents who are away from work to care for their newborn or newly adopted child.

EI Maternity Benefits: Available to the person who is away form work due to pregnancy or have recently given birth (biological and surrogate mothers).

• A maximum of 15 weeks of EI maternity benefits is available
• Benefits can be paid as early as 12 weeks before the expected date of birth and not more than 17 weeks after the due date
• The weekly benefit rate is 55% of the claimant's average weekly insurable earnings up to a maximum amount
• Individual claiming maternity benefits may be able to also claim parental benefits

EI Parental Benefits: Available to parents who are caring for a newborn or newly adopted child or children.
There are two options available for receiving parental benefits:

• Standard Parental Benefits:
  • Can be paid for a maximum of 40 weeks and shared by parents but one parent cannot receive more than 35 weeks
  • Must be claimed within a 52 week period (12 months) after the week the child was born or placed for the purpose of adoption
  • The weekly benefit rate is 55% of the claimant's average weekly insurable earnings up to a maximum amount
• Extended Parental Benefits:
  • Can be paid for a maximum of 69 weeks and shared by parents but one parent cannot claim more than 61 weeks
  • Must be claimed within a 78-week period (18 months) after the week the child was born or placed for the purpose of adoption
  • The benefit rate is 33% of the claimant's average weekly insurable earnings up to a maximum amount

Provides free fuel cards to families who must frequently travel to the IWK to provide their children with urgent medical care.

Assistance is not guaranteed and may not be available every visit.

An Irving Oil program but accessed through the IWK.

Helps low-income clients apply for external funding to allow children and youth to participate in sports programs in PEI. Also offers a program to loan equipment needed for some organized sports.

Responds to unmet needs of First Nations children no matter where they live in Canada. Includes:

• Informing families about the help available for their child and how to access it
• Coordinating access to products, services and supports
• Providing funding when it is needed to make sure products, services and supports are accessed without delay

Provides funding that can help with a wide range of health, social and educational needs, including the unique needs of First Nations 2SLGBTQ+ children and youth and those with disabilities.

Examples of coverage include:

Health:

• Mobility aids
• Wheelchair ramps
• Addiction services
• Mental health services
• Specialized hearing aids
• Traditional healing services
• Services for children in care
• Assessments and screenings
• Transportation to appointments
• Medical supplies and equipment
• Long-term care for children with specialized needs
• Therapeutic services for individuals or groups (speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy)

Social:

• Personal support worker
• Social worker
• Specialized summer camps
• Respite care (individual or group)
• Specialized programs based on cultural beliefs and practices

Education:

• School supplies
• Tutoring services
• Specialized school transportation
• Teaching assistance
• Psycho-education assessments
• Assistive technologies

Helps families who face financial barriers to their children participating in sports by providing grants of up to $600 per child per year.

Grants may be applied to more than one sport and to required equipment. There is no limit to the number of children who may receive a grant within one family. Sport activities must be affiliated with member sport organizations of Sport PEI.

Helps cover the cost of approved prescription medications for eligible families.