Funding and Grants for Families

Below is a list of funding opportunities for families of special needs children. Grants vary from monetary funding for anything related to your child's special need, to grants specifically for adaptive equipment or therapies. If a link no longer works or you know of a resource we should add, please let us know. 

Grant Opportunities:

  • Association of Blind Citizens Assistive Technology Fund: This grant provide funds to cover 50% of the retail price of adaptive devices or software for legally blind individuals. The products covered by this program must retail for a minimum of $200 with a maximum retail price of $6,000. Persons eligible to apply for assistance must have a family income of less than $50,000 and cash assets of less than $20,000. Applications must be submitted by June 30th and December 31st for each grant period (two per year). 

  • Dream Factory: A wish granting organization for children ages 3-18 with any degree of special need.

  • First Hand Foundation: Provides grants to assist families of children with special needs afford treatments (clinical procedures, medicine, therapy, prosthesis, etc.), equipment (wheelchairs, assistive technology equipment, care devices, hearing aids, etc.), lodging (only if charitable housing is unavailable), gas ($0.33 per mile), parking and transportation related to a child’s care, and vehicle modifications (lifts, ramps and transfer boards).

  • Friends of Man: A general fund for families in need of assistance; TLC or a similar agency must apply for these funds on your behalf. If you would like to speak to us about applying for a grant for your family, please contact us.

  • Kids Wish Network: Wish granting organization for children with life-threatening or life-altering conditions.

  • Marty Lyons Foundation: Wish granting organization for children with life-threatening conditions.

  • Parker's Purpose: Grants up to $1,000 for families with children 18 and under with a life altering illness or disability that is in an immediate financial crisis. Families who live in Ohio are the foundation's first priority, but they will consider families outside the state. 

  • Riddick's Ride: Loans equipment and supplies to families of children with special needs free-of-charge.

  • Sertoma: College and graduate school scholarships for children who are hard of hearing or deaf.

  • Small Steps in Speech: Grants for families of children with speech delays and disabilities. Small Steps in Speech has partnered with TLC in the past to provide speech therapies and adaptive equipment for children enrolled in TLC speech therapies. As of 2016, Small Steps in Speech will only accept applications directly from families.

  • Sunshine Foundation: Wish granting organization for children with special needs, illness, or from abusive situations.

  • Travis Roy Foundation: Grants for individuals with spinal cord injuries.

  • United Healthcare Children's Foundation: Funding for medical expenses for children 16 or younger. Families must not exceed income requirements to be eligible to apply. 

Additional Resource Lists:

  • Joyful Journey Mom: "Ultimate List of Grants and Resources for Families with Special Needs"