News release

Increased Support for Day Programs for Nova Scotians with Disabilities

Community Services

Government is boosting support to adult day programs for Nova Scotians with disabilities.

An extra $1 million is now available to adult service centres, residential providers and other community service providers.

It will increase the total number of individuals served and will help remove barriers for people who could not access day programs in the past. Organizations are being encouraged to apply for grants to increase recreation, employment and day programming for persons with disabilities.

“Nova Scotians with disabilities deserve to live their lives as independently as possible, and that means social and economic inclusion within their communities,” said Community Services Minister Kelly Regan. “Our service delivery partners do an outstanding job providing options for people to stay active, and this funding will help them to offer more options for the people they serve.”

“We’re excited for the opportunity to apply for these funds,” said Jeff Teasdale, executive director, Canadian Association for Community Living, Antigonish. “Investing in capacity growth will allow us to expand our social enterprise and increase supported employment opportunities.”

Day programs and activities that promote inclusion in communities include volunteerism, recreation and leisure, and skill-building. There are also programs that get people involved in social enterprise and employment activities, such as job preparation and development, and job coaching.

The province invested $1 million in Budget 2017-2018 for the grants. Service providers can submit more than one application, if they complete separate applications for each proposed project. There is no limit on the application amount but applicants should discuss proposals of more than $50,000 with staff at the department. The application period will be open until 4:30 p.m., Jan. 5, 2018.

To learn about the Disability Support Program, visit novascotia.ca/coms/disabilities.