Ontario parents with school aged kids eligible to receive COVID-19 Child Benefit

BY PAUL JUNOR

The announcement of direct support to parents of school-aged children was made by the Ontario government in the Spring Budget released in March, 2021.

The extra support to parents will amount to $980 million that the government will be providing to parents to help offset the educational costs that they may have incurred during the pandemic. In the 2021 Budget, “Ontario Action Plan; Protecting People’s Health and Our Economy,” the government will increase to $400 from $200 per child and provide $500 extra for parents who have children with special needs.

 According to Ontario.ca, anyone can apply for their kids if they live in Ontario and meet the following;

• a parent or guardian to a child or youth up to Grade 12
• have secondary school children over the age of 18
• a parent or guardian to a child or youth that is 21 or younger that has special needs

A child or youth with special needs is any;

• student reported to be receiving special education programs or services by their school board

• child enrolled in licensed childcare and reported to be receiving special needs funding or support

• child identified as having a special need

For those children who are in gifted program, they are not considered to have special needs. Children, youth or students are eligible if they satisfy the criterion;

• attend a publicly funded school
• attend a private school
• attend a First Nation operated or federally operated school
• attend school in-person or online
• are home-schooled
• are enrolled in child care
• are at home

Parents who have received payments for their children under the Support for Families and Support for Learner programs do no need to apply again for the Ontario COVID-19 Child Benefit. For those parents who did not apply before for any of these programs, they are able to apply for this benefit starting May 3^rd, 2021 to May 17^th, 2021.

Parents who have previously applied for the Support For Learners program will receive payments starting April 26^th, 2021. It will be either $400 for each child or youth up to Grade 12 or $500 for each child or youth up to age 21 with special needs.

There is a restriction of only one parent or guardian who are able to apply for each child and custody must belong to the parent applying. It does not matter if there is shared custody between the parents. The decisions as to which parents will apply is left up to the discretions of the parents. There can only be one application per child.

A student who is over eighteen years old can apply on their own without the parent or guardian involvement. Payments will be sent by e-transfer, direct deposits or cheque. It is important that parents do not miss out.