Passport program for adults with a developmental disability

Overview

Passport is a program that helps adults 18 years or older with a developmental disability to participate in their communities and live as independently as possible. It also helps caregivers of an adult with a developmental disability take a break from their caregiving responsibilities.

Passport is a reimbursement program where people and families submit invoices and receipts for admissible expenses. Then we reimburse admissible expenses up to the amount of the annual funding allocation.

Passport provides funding for services and supports so adults with a developmental disability can:

• take part in community classes or recreational programs
• develop work, volunteer and daily life skills
• hire a support worker
• create their own life plans (this is called person-directed planning) to reach their goals
• get temporary respite for their caregivers

Passport is funded by the Ontario Government and administered by local Passport Agencies.

Learn more about the Passport program and find additional resources

Read the full Passport program guidelines

Eligibility

The Passport program is for people with a developmental disability who are 18 years old or older, residents of Ontario, and:

• need support to participate in the community while still in school
• have left school and are living either with family or independently in a supportive living arrangement

A developmental disability should be determined by a psychologist or psychological associate registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario or equivalent body in another province.

If you are a caregiver of an adult with a developmental disability, the Passport program can help you take a break from your caregiving responsibilities.

Developmental Services Ontario manages the application process for all provincially-funded developmental services and supports for adults with a developmental disability in Ontario.

How to apply

Contact Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) to apply for Passport funding. Your local DSO office will confirm if you are eligible to receive government-funded adult developmental services.

Once they confirm you are eligible, the DSO staff will connect you with your local Passport agency to receive $5,500 per year in annual Passport funding.

You should let the DSO know if there are any changes to the information you submitted in your application so that we can reassess and prioritize you based on the most up to date information.

Find your local  DSO.

Apply to receive more than $5,500

It is possible to receive more than $5,500 per year in annual Passport funding. Once you confirm your eligibility for Passport funding, you can complete an application package to access additional developmental services and support, including funding above $5,500, up to a maximum of $44,275.

After your local DSO fully assesses your needs, we might provide you with additional funding as it becomes available.

Once your application package has been completed, your information will be transferred to your local Passport Agency. Passport agencies keep the list of people who are waiting to receive additional Passport funding.

If you are eligible to receive a funding amount higher than the $5,500, and you accept the offer of funding between:

• April and September, you will receive a full year funding approval amount (12 months) in the first year.
• October and March, you will receive a half year funding approval amount (6 months) in the first year and a full year funding approval amount (12 months) in the following year.

You will receive at least $5,500 in your first year, no matter when you start.

How Passport funding is determined

All Passport recipients receive the minimum funding amount of $5,500 annually.

Additional funding amounts are based, in part, on the information that you provide during the application process. We use this process to help us decide the amount of funding you will receive using information about:

• the type of service you need
• the amount of service you need
• what kind of support(s) you and your family are already receiving

A consistent and automated process takes the information you provided to Developmental Services Ontario during your application and creates a score for you based on your assessed level of need. Each person's score is matched against a funding table that identifies the amount of Passport funding a person is eligible to receive. This is intended to ensure funding decisions are consistent and fair across the province.

Your level of priority for additional Passport funding is not based on how long you have waited for funding.

How the program works

Passport is a reimbursement program where individuals and families submit invoices and receipts for admissible expenses. Admissible expenses are then reimbursed up to the amount of the annual Passport funding allocation.

Read the full Passport program guidelines

Step 1: designate someone who is responsible for managing your funding

Once you have accepted your Passport funding approval, you will need to designate a person who will be responsible for managing your Passport funding. This person is called the Person Managing Funds (PMF) and every Passport recipient must have a designated PMF. You can designate yourself as the PMF or you can choose a trusted friend or family member to be your PMF. The PMF cannot be a person who is paid as a support worker for the Passport recipient.

The local Passport agency will work with you and/or your PMF to help make decisions about how you would like to administer your funding.

Step 2: sign the service agreement

Once you have accepted your Passport funding approval, you or your PMF must sign a tri-party service agreement with your local Passport agency and the agency that processes Passport payments. Once the service agreement has been signed, you will receive Passport funding directly to purchase supports and services on your own, or you can choose to receive supports from an agency.

Step 3: develop a plan for your funding

You should develop a detailed plan for the use of your Passport funding. For more information on how to develop a plan, please contact your Passport coordinator.

File your claims

You have two options to submit claims electronically. Both options make the reimbursement process simple and easy to manage.

There is no fee to sign up or use either option to submit your claims.

You can submit claims regularly throughout the year and view your submission history and claims status.

Passport eCLAIM

Learn about Passport eCLAIM and how to set up an account, use the personalised fillable claim form and submit all your Passport claims online.

Passport MyDirectPlan (MDP)

Learn about MyDirectPlan and how to set up an account and submit claims online or through the mobile application. Available features of MDP include tools to assist with budgeting and managing funding.

Find additional resources, including tip sheets and videos, to help you file your claims.

If you are not able to submit claims electronically, you can do so manually with your customized claim form. Please contact your Passport coordinator for more information.

Supports covered by Passport funding

You can use a portion of your Passport funding for person-directed planning. Person-directed planning helps people with a developmental disability prepare life plans that lay out your distinct needs and goals. These plans can help you make the most out of funding and outline ways you can participate in community activities.

Read the Passport guidelines to learn more about eligible expenses.

Passport Agencies

Central Eastern Ontario

Central Western Ontario

Eastern Ontario

Toronto

Hamilton-Niagara

North Eastern Ontario

Northern Ontario

South Eastern Ontario

South Western Ontario