If your child has been approved by Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) and you wish to create and manage your own private Specialized Services or Behavioural/Developmental Supports (BDS) team (instead of using an agency), below are some considerations to think about.

Considerations

In Alberta, parents are responsible for choosing the service provider to work with their child and family. Parents may access a service provider through an agency or privately hiring. Note that the parents are the employer, not FSCD. If you are considering hiring a private team, please ask yourself the following questions:

  • How important is it for you to have choice in deciding who will work with your child?
  • How much flexibility do you want in terms of scheduling and activities?
  • Are you prepared to deal with staff turnover?
  • Are you able to cover any expenses that may not covered by FSCD?
  • Are you equipped to manage payroll?
    • Note: If you do not wish to manage payroll, speak to your caseworker about options.
  • Do you have the time that is needed to manage administrative requirements?
  • Are you able to deal with interpersonal conflicts that may occur with staff?
  • Are you willing to interview staff and complete background and reference checks?

Important Steps

  1. Ensure that FSCD has approved funding and you have discussed hiring privately with your caseworker. Inform your caseworker who is on your team so they can check credentials. You can also check clinician credentials through their regulatory colleges.
  2. Open a business account or separatebank account for managing funds.
  3. Consider a Line of Credit.
  4. Register as an employer with Canada Revenue Agency.
  5. Consider Liability Insurance.
  6. Consider seeking legal advice and/or an accountant.
  7. Obtain Police Checks, Child Welfare Checks, and Intervention Record Checks for employees.
  8. Ensure a valid driver's license and minimum $2 million in driver's insurance.
  9. Keep all receipts for up to 7 years.

If you are interested in hiring privately and want to find staff, consider placing ads in your local newspaper, online, or on bulletin boards that families and professionals frequent - such as schools, daycares, recreation centres, post-secondary schools, etc.