Special Services at Home (SSAH) Ontario: Complete Guide

Special Services at Home (SSAH) is an Ontario government program run by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS). It helps families taking care of a child with a developmental and/or physical disability by providing funding to buy services and supports that:

• help the child take part in day-to-day activities at home and in the community,
• help the child take part in activities that support their growth and development, and
• give parents and main caregivers support — including respite.

SSAH is meant to complement other services and supports your child may be receiving, including clinical services. It is not a replacement for those services. It pays for other things that will help your child and family do what is important to them.

You can read the SSAH program page on Accessible Compass at Ontario Special Services at Home, or go straight to the official Ontario page.

To be eligible for SSAH, a child must:

• Need extra support, beyond what is expected for their age, because of a physical and/or developmental disability, so they can take part in daily activities at home and in the community.
• Be a resident of Ontario and legally entitled to live in Canada. Visitors are not eligible.
• Be under 18 years old.
• Live at home with their main caregiver, or live separately from their main caregiver without support from other government-funded out-of-home (residential) services.

Only one person with decision-making responsibility for the child can apply. If parents have a joint-custody (parenting) order, only one parent can apply, and funding is provided to only one parent.

SSAH eligibility (Ontario.ca)

A formal diagnosis is not always required. What is required is documentation of your child's functional limitations — the direct impact of a physical, cognitive, or emotional impairment on your child's ability to carry out activities of daily living.

A regulated health professional must provide this documentation. Ontario lists the professionals who can provide it, including a physician, psychologist, psychological associate, nurse practitioner, registered practical nurse, registered nurse, ophthalmologist, audiologist, optometrist, physiotherapist, psychotherapist, occupational therapist, social worker, speech-language pathologist, and behaviour analyst.

With some infants and young children, a definitive diagnosis can be difficult. In that case, the regulated health professional must provide a written statement describing the probability or presence of delay and the risk of further delay that will result in ongoing functional limitations. For an infant without a diagnosis, eligibility is re-determined at approximately age 6.

Regulated health professions (Ontario.ca)

Families receiving SSAH can be reimbursed for three categories of expenses. The examples below come from the official Ontario page; they are not exhaustive — your Ministry Regional Office decides whether a specific expense is eligible.

What services you can get (Ontario.ca)

The three categories above each include a range of eligible expenses. Some common ones families ask about:

• Respite and caregiver relief — camp, overnight and daytime respite, before/after-school care, and care during school breaks.
• Daily activities — sensory items, special clothes, learning tools, tutoring, and supports for daily routines and safety.
• Growth and development — hobbies, family and social activities, physical activities, and future planning.
• Caregiver support — training for the main caregiver and help with household tasks while the main caregiver cares for the child.

Ontario lists three categories of expenses that SSAH cannot reimburse. These are also ineligible for the Enhanced Respite for Medically Fragile and/or Technology Dependent Children Program.

This list is not exhaustive. Confirm any uncertain expense with your regional office before purchasing.

Expenses not covered by SSAH (Ontario.ca)

Respite is one of the three SSAH categories and is one of the most common reasons families use the program. It provides temporary relief for main caregivers and helps with the extra needs of the child.

Ontario's examples of respite include hiring someone to directly help with the child's care, camp, overnight respite, daytime-program respite, before/after-school care, and care during PA days, March break, and summer break. It can also include a service to help the main caregiver with household responsibilities (such as snow removal) and training for the main caregiver on how to better support the child.

You cannot pay yourself (the main caregiver), your spouse, a parent, or a step-parent with SSAH funds, and no one under 18 can be paid. The child's main caregivers cannot be paid regardless of where they live.

You may hire an outside support worker directly, or pay a family member who is 18 or older and is not the child's main caregiver, parent, step-parent, or spouse — for example, an adult sibling, or a grandparent who is not the main caregiver.

Who you can hire to provide support (Ontario.ca)

SSAH is a discretionary program. Ontario does not publish a standard SSAH funding amount. The amount your child is eligible for is decided when the ministry reviews your application, based on your child's needs and available resources.

SSAH is also reimbursement-based: you pay for eligible services first and then submit expenses to be paid back, up to the amount you are approved for.

Applying for SSAH is a six-step process. Take them in order:

Preparing an application? Our Application Helper walks you through benefit forms in plain language.

Application process (Ontario.ca)

Ontario asks for documentation in three areas when you apply. Use this checklist:

Application requirements (Ontario.ca)

After you submit, the ministry reviews your application to determine eligibility and the amount of funding your child is eligible for. You will receive a letter stating the decision:

• If approved, the letter includes details about what happens next and your funding.
• If not approved, the letter explains the decision and your right to ask for a review.

If your application is denied, our Appeals Guide explains how review and appeal processes generally work — but note the SSAH review process below is specific to this program.

Once approved, you receive a funding agreement outlining your funding details. You can then begin purchasing eligible services and supports. Remember two things:

• Do not buy services before approval — expenses purchased before you are approved are not reimbursed.
• Keep receipts and records for everything you buy, since SSAH is reimbursement-based and you will submit expenses to be paid back.

If there has been a significant change affecting your child's support needs, contact your Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services regional office as soon as possible. Depending on the change, the ministry may ask you to submit a new application or provide updated information so your situation can be reviewed.

Ontario does not publish a fixed list of qualifying changes on the SSAH program page. Contact your regional office to confirm what documentation is needed for your situation, and keep records of any changes.

SSAH is a reimbursement program. You pay for eligible services first, then submit expense claims with receipts to be paid back. Whether a specific expense is eligible for reimbursement is determined by your Ministry Regional Office (or Passport Agency, where applicable).

Keep all invoices and receipts, and use signed expense forms where applicable (for example, signatures from respite workers). Many families submit claims electronically through MyDirectPlan.

MyDirectPlan (MDP) is a free online tool that helps families and individuals manage SSAH and Passport funding. With it you can:

• submit expenses electronically for approval, including through its mobile app;
• keep track of your SSAH funding budget; and
• keep your receipts and claims organized in one place.

MyDirectPlan is a tool — you still submit expenses to the ministry for reimbursement, and eligibility is still decided by the Ministry Regional Office or Passport Agency.

General rule: you have one year from your Funding End Date to submit expenses for reimbursement. Expenses submitted after the deadline are not reimbursed.

Always check your own funding agreement and current Ontario guidance for the deadline that applies to you. Submit claims well before the deadline and keep records of everything you submit.

Managing your funding and submitting expenses (Ontario.ca)

The Ontario Autism Program (OAP) offers support to families of children and youth on the autism spectrum. SSAH and OAP are separate programs with separate eligibility and applications.

Ontario lists SSAH and ACSD on the OAP page under "other government services and supports" that a child registered in OAP may also be eligible for. Being in one program does not automatically enroll you in another, and Ontario does not publish a rule that either guarantees or prevents receiving SSAH and OAP at the same time. You must apply to each program separately.

Ontario Autism Program (Ontario.ca)

Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD) is a separate Ontario program that provides financial support to low- and moderate-income families to help with the extraordinary costs of caring for a child with a severe disability. SSAH and ACSD are separate programs with separate eligibility and applications.

Ontario does not publish a rule that either guarantees or prevents receiving SSAH and ACSD at the same time. Each program is applied for and decided on its own eligibility. Unlike SSAH, ACSD has an income test and provides a monthly payment rather than reimbursement.

ACSD program (Ontario.ca)

These four Ontario programs serve different needs. All cells are drawn from current Ontario government pages; time-sensitive figures are dated.

Ontario does not publish a standard SSAH amount or a single OAP amount. ACSD figures are dated to the July 2026 increase. Verify current figures on the official pages linked in the sources section.

SSAH ends at age 18. There is no automatic transfer to adult services. Ontario encourages families to start planning for the transition to adulthood long before their child turns 18.

To access adult developmental services — such as the Passport program — you apply through Developmental Services Ontario (DSO). You may also want to contact your local ODSP office.

Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) is the access point for adult developmental services in Ontario, including the Passport program. Passport provides funding to adults with a developmental disability for community participation, activities of daily living, person-directed planning, and respite for caregivers.

Here is the official timing from DSO:

• You can start the application process at age 16. DSO recommends applying at 16 to reduce the gap between children's and adult services.
• Eligibility can be confirmed at ages 16 and 17 — with all the correct documents.
• Adult developmental services and Passport funding cannot begin until your child turns 18. Referrals cannot be made before age 18.

In short: apply at 16, confirm eligibility at 16–17, receive services and Passport funding at 18.

How to access DSO services·Passport program (Ontario.ca)