Ontario Autism Program: interim one-time funding

Overview

Children and youth with autism spectrum disorder and their families who are on the waitlist for services might be eligible for interim one-time funding.

All eligible families on the Ontario Autism Program waitlist who submitted their registration form and supporting documentation by March 31, 2021, will receive funding to purchase eligible services and supports. Families can use funding to purchase services from the same list of eligible expenses as childhood budgets.

The amount you are eligible to receive is based on your child or youth’s age as of April 1, 2021:

• $20,000 for a child aged 1 – 5
• $5,000 for a child or youth aged 6 – 17

If you received an invitation to apply for interim one-time funding before April 1, 2021, and you apply within the 90-day window in the letter, we will honour the funding determination date in the letter.

Accepting this funding will not impact your eligibility for the new needs-based autism program. Your child or youth’s position on the Ontario Autism Program waitlist will be maintained.

Eligibility

To receive Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding, your child or youth must:

• be under 18 years of age
• be a resident of Ontario
• have a written diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by a qualified professional
• submit registration forms and supporting documents for the Ontario Autism Program by March 31, 2021

You are not eligible if you:

• are currently receiving services and support through an Ontario Autism Program behaviour plan
• did not receive an invitation letter for interim one-time funding

If you are eligible, the ministry will send you a letter to confirm your registration and invite you to complete the application form for interim one-time funding.

Invitation letter

Your invitation letter will include your child or youth’s:

• Ontario Autism Program client information reference number
• date of birth that is on file with your Ontario Autism Program service provider or with the ministry
• Ontario Autism Program registration date

If you have more than one child or youth on the waitlist, you will receive a separate invitation letter and client information reference number for each child or youth.

Apply

If your child or youth is eligible to receive interim one-time funding and you have not received funding before, you must follow the steps below.

If you have received a childhood budget and your child or youth is now eligible for interim one-time funding, you can submit your expenses and apply for funding in one step.

Step 1: apply for the Ontario Autism Program

You must apply for the Ontario Autism Program and the ministry must receive your completed application and all supporting documents by March 31, 2021 to be eligible for interim one-time funding.

Step 2: receive an invitation to apply for interim one-time funding

You must receive an invitation letter from the ministry before you can apply for the Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding.

Step 3: complete the interim one-time funding application

Primary caregivers and independent youth can apply for the funding, but they must complete different forms.

To apply for Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding, we recommend using any web browser other than Internet Explorer.

Application form for primary caregivers

A primary caregiver can be the child or youth’s parent, legal guardian, children’s aid society or any person primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of the child or youth, including providing care under kinship service or customary care arrangements.

If you have a shared custody agreement for your child or youth with another person or family, only one person who has custody of the child or youth will be eligible to receive this funding on the child or youth’s behalf.

You share custody if the child or youth lives with you and someone else in separate residences and each parent has them for at least 40% of the time.

Application form for independent youth

An independent youth is someone aged 16 or 17 who has chosen to withdraw from their parent or caregiver’s care and control.

Step 4: the ministry reviews your application

After you apply for interim one-time funding, we will review and process your application as soon as possible.

After we process your application, you will receive funding within four weeks.

We are currently experiencing a high volume of applications and our standard processing times may be delayed.

Accepting this funding will not impact your eligibility for the new needs-based autism program. Your child or youth’s original registration date and position on the Ontario Autism Program waitlist will not change.

Purchase autism services

Once the ministry has received and processed your application, we will send you your payment.

You can purchase eligible Ontario Autism Program services and supports as soon as you receive the payment.

The date on the cheque, or the date that the funding is deposited into the primary caregiver or independent youth’s bank account, is your funding start date.

You cannot use your interim one-time funding to pay for services or supports that you purchased before your funding start date.

Submit your expense form

The expense form reports, categorizes and summarizes how you spent the money so the ministry can reconcile the funding.

Do not submit invoices, receipts or other proof of payment with your expense form.

You must keep original records of all receipts, invoices and any supporting proof of payment of your expenses for seven years from the date shown on the invoice or receipt. These documents may be requested if you are audited.

You can submit the expense form before your funding end date if you have spent the entire amount of your Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding and you have proof of payment for your expenses.

Get the expense form

You have up to 18 months to spend your funding

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we are extending the amount of time you have to spend your interim one-time funding and submit your expense form by up to six months, if necessary. You now have up to 18 months to spend your interim one-time funding and submit your expense form.

For example, if your original 12 months to spend your funding ends on June 10, 2021, you now have until December 10, 2021 to spend your funding and submit your expense form.

You do not need to contact the ministry to be eligible or to accept this extension.

Families who are ready to submit an expense form at 12 months – as stated in their original funding agreement – can do so. The extension is optional and intended to support those families who need it.

Renewing your interim one-time funding

If you have already received interim one-time funding, you may be eligible to receive an additional payment of $20,000 or $5,000 based on your child or youth’s age as of April 1, 2021. Use our online form to submit your expenses for your initial payment and apply for an additional payment in one easy step. Also, you can download an accessible PDF version of the form.

Families can begin purchasing eligible services and supports the day after their interim one-time funding agreement ends, as long as they have submitted their expenses and application form for the additional payment.

Funding agreement

To receive Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding, you must enter into a funding agreement with the ministry.

You must read and consent to the terms and conditions of the funding agreement on your application form, and you can find them here for your records.

Terms and conditions

I understand that my funding start date is the date on which the ministry provided me with Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding via cheque or electronic funds transfer/direct deposit. If paid by electronic funds transfer, the payor of Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding is reflected on statements and accounts as ONTAUTISM.

I understand that I have one year or up to 18 months (from and including my funding start date, until and including my funding end date) to spend the funding.

I understand that invoices/receipts for services and supports purchased using funding must be dated after my funding start date and before or on my funding end date. Any services and supports purchased outside these dates will be at my own expense.

I have read and understand the Ontario Autism Program list of eligible and ineligible expenses.

I understand that I can only use the funding provided by the ministry under this agreement to purchase services and supports from the list of eligible expenses for the child or youth, and I agree to utilize the funding only for such purposes. I understand that I am responsible for repaying the ministry for the amount that was not spent on eligible expenses.

I understand that the ministry will only fund an amount for which my child or youth is eligible. If the funding does not cover the full cost of the expenses that I choose to incur, the ministry will not be responsible for paying the difference.

I understand that I will be required to submit an expense form to the ministry showing a summary of how the funding was spent and when purchases were made, including when services (if applicable) were provided.

I understand that if I am purchasing evidence-based behavioural services using the funding, I must submit a clinical supervisor attestation form, completed and signed by my clinical supervisor. The attestation form is only required if the clinical supervisor is not on the Ontario Autism Program provider list.

I understand that I am required to keep original records of my expenses (including, invoices, receipts and/or other proofs of payment such as debit, credit card or PayPal statements) for seven years from the date shown on the invoice/receipt for all services and supports purchased using the Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding.

I understand that the retention of my invoices, receipts and other proof of payment is required as proof of how funding was spent and that I may be asked to submit such invoices, receipts and documentation to the ministry at any time or be subject to audit.

I understand that the funding I spend may be subject to an audit, and if I am unable to provide proof of how funding was spent or if I spend funding on ineligible expenses, my funding cannot be reconciled and that I will be required to repay to the ministry any unreconciled funding.

I understand that, if or when audited, I may be asked to provide documentation including records of who provided the service(s) and clear proof of payment (for example invoices and receipts). Documentation related to proof of purchase must include, at a minimum:

• invoice/receipt number
• name of service provider or the company from which the purchase was made
• name and title of clinician, and clinician license number (where applicable)
• list of service(s), quantity and individualized costs of the services provided, and/or the items purchased
• date(s) on which the service(s) was/were provided, or purchase(s) was/were made

I understand that the ministry may terminate this agreement for any reason, in its sole discretion, with 30 days written notice.

I understand that this agreement automatically and immediately terminates upon the occurrence of any of the following:

• it is discovered that the information provided in this agreement or in my Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding application is incorrect or untrue
• the child or youth's diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is removed
• the child or youth no longer resides in Ontario

I understand that, if this agreement is terminated, I may be required by the ministry to repay the funding, in whole or in part, to the ministry and/or I may be required by the ministry to reconcile the funding already spent, in whole or in part.

I understand that I am solely responsible for determining my obligations with respect to the funding for income tax purposes.

I understand that by using the funding to pay a service provider, I may be classified as an employer of my chosen service provider(s) under various Ontario and Canadian employment laws.

I understand that, with regard to any obligations I may have as an employer under the Employment Standards Act, Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, Human Rights Code, Labour Relations Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Employment Insurance Act, Income Tax Act or Canada Pension Plan Act, or any other laws to which I may be subject, I am solely responsible for determining my obligations under those laws, and I expressly acknowledge that the Ministry has made no representations with respect to any such obligations.

I release and agree to hold harmless, Her Majesty the Queen in right of Ontario, Her ministers, agents, appointees, and employees, from all actions, claims, demands, expenses, causes of action and for any and all liability, no matter what the cause arising out of or in connection with the selection of service providers, the receipt of services or otherwise in connection with the funding or this agreement.

Collecting personal information and personal health information to administer the Ontario Autism Program

To provide you and/or your child or youth with Ontario Autism Program services and supports, it is necessary for the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to collect your and your child or youth’s personal information and your child or youth’s personal health information. This information may be provided by you or obtained from your Ontario Autism Program service provider. The personal information that will be collected by the ministry includes, but is not limited to, your and/or your child or youth’s name, phone number, address and your child or youth’s birth date.

The ministry will use the personal information you have provided to the Ministry and the personal health information provided to the ministry by your Ontario Autism Program service provider to determine the amount of Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding you will receive, to issue such funding, and to address any funding-related issues, including those that may arise as a result of reconciling the funding. The ministry will use your child or youth’s personal information to verify and confirm your child or youth’s personal health information on file and to maintain your child or youth’s original registration date and position on the Ontario Autism Program waitlist for entry into the new needs-based program.

The ministry may also use your and your child or youth’s personal information, including their personal health information for the purposes outlined in section 283 of Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, Chapter 14, Sched. 1 (CYFSA) which include:

• planning, managing, delivering, evaluating or monitoring services that the Ministry provides or funds under the CYFSA
• conducting risk management and error management activities in respect of the services that the Ministry provides or funds under the CYFSA, and monitoring and preventing fraud or any unauthorized receipt of services or benefits related to any of them
• conducting activities to improve or maintain the quality of the services that the Ministry provides or funds, in whole or in part 
• conducting research and analysis that relate to children and youth and their families, including longitudinal studies, by or on behalf of the ministry that relate to, a service, the transition of children and youth and their families between and out of services, including the resulting outcomes, or programs that support the learning, development, health and well-being of children and youth and their families, including programs provided or funded in whole or in part by the Ministry or by any other ministry of the Government of Ontario

Legal notice of collection of personal information and personal health information

All personal information provided in this application is being provided directly to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and will be used for the purposes outlined in section 283 of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 14, Sched. 1 (CYFSA). This includes administering Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding such as determining and issuing the amount of eligible funding and addressing any funding-related issues, including those that may arise as a result of reconciling the funding. The collection of personal information by MCCSS within this application is authorized by subsections 38(2) and 39(1)(h) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.31 (FIPPA) and section 283 of the CYFSA.

The Ministry is also authorized to indirectly collect personal information, including personal health information, from your Ontario Autism Program service provider by subsections 38(2) and 39(1)(h) of FIPPA and section 283 of CYFSA for the purpose of administering the Ontario Autism Program, including the planning, management and issuance of Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding.

If you have questions about the collection of personal information or personal health information as part of this application, you can contact:

Central Intake and Registration Team
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 193
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1N3
Toll-free: 1-888-444-4530
French services available upon request