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If you're a single parent in PEI, the best way to overcome financial difficulties is to take advantage of all the programs the government created to aid lower income families financially, as well as within the community.
Many single parents don’t have an emergency fund set up, which means they can be left in the lurch with nowhere to turn when their car breaks down or something else unexpected comes up. If government benefits aren’t enough, iCash offers payday loans even for those registered for government assistance and funds.
Below is a list of the main programs and services you may be eligible for so that you can get a general idea of the help available.
• Audiology Services
• Autism Services
• Child Care Subsidy Program
• Dental Public Health Services
• Housing Assistance
• Nutrition Services Program
• Social Assistance Program
• Speech-Language Pathology Program
• Key Takeaways: Single Parent Benefits in PEI
Audiology Services are available to anyone, regardless of age. You can benefit from a thorough assessment, tests, and useful information, free of charge. If hearing aids are also necessary, they are provided for free if you're younger than 21 years old.
To benefit from an assessment, all you need to do is contact Audiology Services. You can do that either by calling 902-368-5807 or online by filling in an audiology referral for yourself or on behalf of your child. Apart from this self-referral, those from medical professionals can also be used.
For the referral, you will need to offer the following information:
- Name, date of birth, or personal health number
- Why you need the assessment (a checklist is available)
- What are the health services involved (again with the help of a checklist)
- If you have already had relevant tests, you need to provide the results
Once you receive confirmation that your request has been registered, you will be put on a waiting list until the first available spot opens.
If you want to benefit from private audiology services, it is possible but a bit more complicated. These appointments can be made for residents over 4 years old, once every two years. But you are required to present a referral made by a licensed physician, nurse, or speech-language specialist. You will then have the chance to benefit from an assessment from Campbell Hearing or PEI Audiology.
The PEI government offers special Autism Services provided by Early Years Autism Specialists to preschool and school-age children suffering from an autism specter disorder before entering school.
The collaboration between professionals and teachers will ensure an easier transition for the child to the next level in education. School-based consultants are also available for support.
The IBI program provides support and supervision to help your child develop the skills they need to prepare for school activities. From personal meetings to childhood centre activities, an Autism assistant will follow your child's progress. At the same time, the Early Years Autism Coordinator will oversee the clinical appointments.
The primary assessment will reveal your child's needs and the steps needed to ease their transition into school. If necessary, you can also benefit from Intensive Kindergarten Support. This program helps teachers adapt their curriculum and teaching style, making it accessible and suitable for your child.
Since these sessions with tutors can be a high expense for the family, you can access autism funding to cover the costs related to your child's participation in the IBI program. If government benefits still aren’t enough to cover the unexpected costs that often arise with special needs children, applying for a payday loan in PEI from a direct lender is an excellent option to keep you focused on your child’s needs instead of money.
To apply for Autism Services or receive more information on the subject, you need to contact the Early Years Autism Coordinator in Charlottetown.
Working Islanders who need help keeping their kids in childcare while they are at the office can benefit from the Child Care Subsidy Program to cover daycare services. This program is available for families with children under 12 years of age. To qualify, the parent or parents must be working, attending school or training, or staying at home due to circumstances.
The funds received is dependent on your household income. You will go through an initial assessment. After that, you can either get a full or partial subsidy. Once the amount is set, they will send it directly to the daycare provider.
To apply for the program, you need to contact the Child Care Subsidy office. You can make an appointment at this number: 1-877-569-0546. Prince Edward Island residents can also leverage the benefit of receiving the childcare subsidy to get a loan.
Dental Public Health Services are meant to help children who don't benefit from private dental insurance. If the child is between 3 and 17 years old, they can receive treatment and prevention services. Adults can also access these services in certain circumstances, using the PEI Health Card.
Here is the list of dental services your children may benefit from:
• Preventative dental services are available in public health clinics for all children once a year. Your child's school can offer the details, and your consent will be required. It includes screening services, cleaning, or sealants.
• Basic diagnosis and treatment can be accessed either in public health clinics or private dental offices, if your child is not covered by private insurance. That includes one check-up per year, x-rays, extractions, fillings, or root canals.
• In-hospital treatments are also available.
• If your child is born with a cleft palate, orthodontic treatment is available, either fully or partially, depending on your household income.
As for low-income adults, they can benefit from the Provincial Dental Care Program. It aims to help people keep decent oral health and offer relief to those suffering from dental pain or infections even when they can’t afford the treatment.
As for PEI residents living in long-term care facilities, they can receive oral screenings and preventative treatment. If the situation imposes it, the patients can also be sent to a private dental clinic for more in-depth treatment.
Children benefit from preventative services without having to register in any way. But for other dental treatments, you will need to apply by meeting the following requirements:
• Your child must be registered with a family dentist or a public health clinic.
• You need a declaration form stating that you don't have a private insurance plan covering your child.
• Pay a registration fee: $15/child up to $35/family.
• Pay 20% of the total treatment cost. However, families with an income under $30,000 don't have to pay that fee, if they fill in an exemption form.
To get more information, you can contact the Dental Public Health Program office in Charlottetown or one of the public health clinics.
Housing Assistance aims at helping low-income PEI residents cover the costs of appropriate housing. That can either happen by receiving a spot in a social housing unit or with a rent supplement. Those in the most challenging situations have a higher priority when it comes to receiving help.
Two programs are part of the Housing Assistance initiative:
This offers rental units for families, single parents or individuals with no other means of securing shelter. They can access the program if their income is too low to pay for rent, the housing conditions they have are poor, or they have circumstances that prevent them from living without assistance.
The program provides apartments owned by the government, and the rent is usually 25% of the family's income. If you rent from private landlords, you can receive a rent supplement.
To apply for the program, you need to fill in an application form, and you can either send it online or print it and send it to one of the housing offices. After sending the form, you will also need to go through an interview to establish your situation's severity.
This program is designed to helps seniors who cannot cover the basic living costs because their income has diminished or cannot keep up with their apartment's maintenance costs.
PEI pensioners are also eligible for emergency loans through direct lenders in the form of CPP payday loans.
The Nutrition Services Program offers assistance to pregnant women who face a nutritional deficiency. The program pays for the necessary dietary supplements essential for the mother and their unborn child(ren) to develop correctly and avoid future health issues.
If you are a pregnant PEI resident and need assistance, here are the requirements you must meet to qualify:
- You must have a PEI Health Card
- You have a high-risk pregnancy and are in the care of a community nutritionist
- You are pregnant, but your low income forces you to look for financial assistance
As for the application process, it's your nutritionist who needs to contact the Provincial Pharmacy and ask for the necessary supplements. The good news is that the costs are covered entirely by the program. However, it's important to know that this only applies to supplements included in the PEI Pharmacare Formulary, with no exceptions.
The Social Assistance Program provides financial help for individual, families and single parents in PEI who cannot cover the necessities like food, shelter, and clothing.
It offers either cash or referrals to complementary services. But apart from receiving financial support, people are also encouraged to improve their situation and try to become more independent.
To apply for the program, you will first meet with a social worker who will guide you through the process. Then, you need to submit the application form, which will help determine your eligibility.
In general, the application process for this program is considered rather complicated and stressful. However, it needs to be thorough to decide which applicants need the support more due to a more difficult situation.
To qualify for the Social Assistance Program, you must lack the following resources:
- An income that can cover your basic needs
- Family resources
- Short-term credit
- Assets that you can use
- Opportunities for employment or training
If you start receiving financial assistance, you will also have to make serious efforts to find a job and avoid such severe situations in the future.
If your child is preschool aged, and you notice they need help with their language abilities, the Speech-Language Pathology Program can provide much-needed assistance. You can benefit from a thorough assessment, proper treatment, useful workshops, and even training sessions for the child's caregiver.
The application process for this program is simple. An appointment will need to be scheduled with the Speech-Language Pathology Services on behalf of your child. You will also need to fill in a referral form and a basic information form. The referral can be sent either by the parent or a physician.
This program deals with the struggles your child may face reaching typical speech development milestones. It only covers the preschool period. Once they start attending school, you will need to discuss available options with the school representatives.
If there are other unexpected costs associated with your child’s speech development treatments, you can trust a direct lender like iCash to provide quick loans when you need them most.
Prince Edward Island has numerous programs available, and each is crafted to cover a particular challenge low-income families and single parents could face. It's essential to know all the options available, so you can benefit from all the help you can get.
Raising children means dealing with many unexpected and urgent costs, and when your income is too low, even with all the extra government help, you often need to find an alternative. That’s OK because reputable lenders like iCash offer a solution with e-Transfer payday loans in Canada available 24/7 even if you’re receiving government benefits.
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