Caregiver Relief Program
What Is The Caregiver Relief Program?
It is a program we offer to give support to Treaty 8 families that have special needs or high medical needs children. We know that raising children is tough, and can be even harder when children have special needs. The extra care and attention can put a strain on even the most dedicated parents.
As well our program also covers Grandparents or extended family members who are raising other extended family members children in order to prevent the child from entering children’s services.
To fill this need we have created the Caregiver Relief Program, where we will cover a Caregiver that you choose, who can assist your family by providing support, assistance, or sometimes even just a much needed break.
Who Can Be A Caregiver
It can be anyone you choose, but someone you trust to look after your child, your kôhkom, aunt, family friend.
Services from the Caregivers can include:
- Companionship;
- Involvement in the individual’s activities of daily living;
- Meal preparation;
- Personal hygiene tasks; and
- Other activities.
How Can We Help?
We provide financial aid to the Caregivers so the parents/guardians can take a break to do self-care, self-care can be:
- Grocery shopping;
- Spending time with other children in household;
- Medical appointments;
- Job searching;
- Working out, going for a walk;
- Having coffee with a friend; and
- Taking a break.
What Qualifies As Special Needs?
Special needs can range from:
- Cerebral Palsy
- ADD/ADHD
- FAS/FASD
- Blindness
- Down Syndrome
- Autism
- Deafness and/or Hearing impairment
- Leukemia
- Plus many more*
*If you are unsure if you qualify we are happy to discuss your situation with you.
Client Feedback
“What a wonderful program Treaty 8 has developed for it’s members!”
“(That) we have the option to choose our own caregiver.”
“It benefits financially; get to spend money on other activities instead of child care all the time.”
“As a mother with a special needs child it’s very overwhelming emotionally and physically; having time to myself and get things done is fantastic.”
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a Treaty 8 member with a Treaty number.
- Must have medical documents to support application (Doctor’s notes, assessments, report cards, etc.)
- Must have your own Caregiver, someone you trust with your child.
- Can reside either on or off reserve.
We will also consider:
- If you are in Treaty 8 territory without a Treaty number (either of the parents or the child must be from a Treaty 8 First Nation.
- If you are lacking in medical documents or assessments, that is something we can help you get.
We will definitely consider your case, please contact our Caregiver Relief Program to discuss.
Assessments
Psychological assessments can be costly and take a long time to complete. We don’t want anything to be a barrier to getting the support you need for your family. That is why we work with a Registered Psychologist who is First Nations herself.
We ensure there is no extra financial burden on the parents/guardians by covering the costs of the assessment.
You will receive a detailed assessment report about your child and we can work together as a team to develop strategies and techniques for your individual child’s needs.
Benefits for Parents/Guardians
Accessing our program has direct benefits for the parents/guardians in the form of:
- Stress reduction, reducing the chance of leading to chronic stress
- No extra financial burden for caregiving because we cover the costs
- The parents/guardians have support; don’t feel so alone
- Allows more personal time for other children in the household
- Children become less socially isolated
- Feel more comfortable because you’re leaving your child with someone you know
Benefits for Caregivers
- Paid $15 per hour to care for a child, currently up to 10 hours per week
- Able to dedicate more time to the child because it is paid
- Excellent opportunity to spend more time with a child who needs your attention
Our Rates/Forms
- Caregivers rates are $15 per hour
- Current maximum: 10 hours per week
- Caregivers will be paid biweekly
- Our program is currently for the child with the special needs only.
- Caregiver must submit a timesheet every 2 weeks with a weekly log sheet on what activities were done with the child during their Caregiving hours.
- The parents must also submit a monthly log sheet on how the program has helped the family.
Note: We are working on increasing the hours of our program to 20 hours per week and having one weekend per month. We will keep our clients posted on any changes as we develop them.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve looked through this booklet and FAQ and I still don’t know if I qualify?
Don’t worry, please just contact us at the contact page and we can discuss your family and their needs. We can let you know if you qualify.
What if I don’t have a caregiver, will you help me find one?
Unfortunately, our program is very new and we don’t yet have the resources to find caregiver’s in each community. It is something we are looking at in the future.
What if my child’s special needs is not on your list?
Those were just examples, as long as you have medical documentation or assessments we can help. If you are still unsure please contact us and we can discuss your case.
I don’t have an assessment, can you help?
Yes! We work with a Registered Psychologist and she can conduct an assessment with your child at no cost to you.
I am from a Treaty 8 community but it is not one of the Alberta First Nations (SK, BC, NT) can I access this program?
Unfortunately, our programs are only accessible to members of Alberta Treaty 8 communities.
I am from a Treaty 8 community but I live off reserve in Edmonton, can you help?
Absolutely, if you are a member of Treaty 8 and you live off reserve, you can still access our program.
