Grant Guidelines

Eligibility Criteria

The foundation provides grants to individuals/foundations whose needs meet the following criteria:

• are under the age of 19
• are for the purpose of assisting children who have sustained serious trauma, illness, or disability or have other needs that support from Cops for Kids may assist
• who reside in the area outlined as the BC RCMP Southeast District jurisdiction, for communities we serve, please review this map
• whose family is significantly impacted and is in need of funding for expenses related to medical treatments, funds to purchase specialized equipment, or symptom management (other requirements will be considered)
• By submitting an application, applicants agree to all terms & conditions of the funding guidelines
• False information or abuse of funding will preclude a family from future assistance from Cops for Kids.
• Cops for Kids can only provide financial assistance to the child and the primary caregiver in the case of medical travel, including accommodations.
• Foundations who are recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency as “other qualified donee”

Requirements

Cops for Kids Support: children and youth in crisis suffering from medical, emotional, mental, developmental, or behavioural problems that require extraordinary help and support and fall under one of these categories:

• Diagnosis
• Physical Disability
• Severe Medical Issues
• Mental Health Disorders
• Pervasive Development Disorders
• Language Delays
• Severe Learning Delays
• High Risk Pregnancies and Premature Babies

Grant applications must have the following:

• A Sponsor from Community of Residence
  • The application process requires that the child in crisis have a “sponsor.” A sponsor is someone that resides in the Southeast District of British Columbia. The sponsor must be at “arm’s length” from the family of the child in need and is willing to verify the validity of the situation. Often the sponsor is a member of the RCMP or a professional support service to the child.
• Support from the Medical/Professional Community
  • A child’s application will supported by written documentation by a designated health care provider, education professional or other specialists to qualify for funding. The grants coordinator may be required collect information from the medical field as they deem necessary to support their informed decision. In most situations, this will include a copy of a treatment plan.
• Other supporting documentation:
  • Current photo of child
  • Supporting quotes for Items requested
  • Two quotes will be required for items in excess of Five Hundred Dollars

PRIORITY ONE

Cops for Kids recognizes that the financial burdens placed on families of children in medical crisis represent significant hardship and stress to the family both emotionally and financially. As such, we endeavour to work you to try to alleviate some of those pressures.

Cops for Kids will, upon submission and approval, assist with:

• Emergent Medical Crisis Support – travel to advanced medical care –  when travel is happening immediately or within 12 to 24 hours please email [email protected]. In subject line, please type “EMERGENCY FUNDING”.
• Ongoing support for children requiring long-term care at hospital away from their home community as approved by BC Medical. Medical travel will include children’s hospitals, regional hospitals, as well as major U.S.-based hospitals that have been directed by and approved by the child’s medical care team and BC Medical Services.
• Transportation via Hope Air and other government-sponsored medivacs to be exhausted before applying to drive to Vancouver or other medical locations. If driving is approved, mileage reimbursement to be coordinated with Cops for Kids grants coordinator in the form of fuel gift cards or reimbursement of receipts up to a maximum of $0.20/km at the sole discretion of the grants coordinator. Parking receipts may be submitted if a family is not housed at Ronald McDonald House or Easter Seal House. Families attending other clinics, such as Sunny Hill or BC Cancer Clinics, will have parking support. A daily parking pass may be obtained by contacting the hospital social worker or by purchasing and reimbursement by Cops for Kids. If the family is at the hospital for the day, a daily pass, not an hourly pass, must be obtained.
• Situations of high-risk pregnancies hospitalized may also require our assistance.
• Medication that is not covered by any agencies, only if the family is registered with Fair Pharmacare. 

The BC Family Residence Program (via Variety) must first be exhausted before applying to Cops for Kids for accommodation assistance. Accommodation assistance will include a Ronald McDonald House, Easter Seals, and, if not available (documented), other prearranged accommodations for one parent and one sick child, up to $100 per night including taxes. Cops for Kids will pay the accommodation directly to the supplier. Approval must be obtained in advance for medical travel and commercial flight travel not authorized by Hope Air. If preapproval is not received from Cops for Kids, commercial air travel may NOT be reimbursed.

All current medical travel reimbursement will require a confirmation by the Dr’s office, laboratory or referred agency of medical treatment/care or appointments to be forwarded to Cops for Kids prior to attending appointment. If a sick child (over the age of 5) is hospitalized, there will not be any reimbursement for the child’s meal expenses during a hospital or follow-up stay. Hospital admitting /discharge/day pass confirmation is required. All travel and medical costs are to be reimbursed with ORIGINAL receipts submitted to:

Cops for Kids Charitable Foundation
RPO Towne Centre
PO Box 20161,
Kelowna B.C. V1Y 9H2
Attn: Grants

Receipts received after the 20th of each month will be paid on the last business day of the following month. If you require special arrangements such as a deposit to a bank account, please advise with receipt submission.

It should be noted that funding provided by Cops for Kids for travel, groceries, or accommodation or other needs cannot be claimed on income tax, we recommend you seek the assistance of a tax advisor when completing your tax returns. 

Approved Priority One grant applications are valid up to two years from date of approval letter. 

PRIORITY TWO

Urgent Needs

Primary Mobility Aids, Specialized Care

Respite care may be provided to a non-family member on an emergent basis and can only be requested once per year up to a maximum of one week or forty hours. These funds will not be made available where the Ministry of Children and Family is already providing respite care and must be supported by a medication professional working with the child. All forms of government funding to be exhausted prior to submitting an application to Cops for Kids.

Medical Treatment – Examples may include but are not limited to the following situations:

• Chiropractic treatment
• Communication tools
• Diabetes management tools
• Disposable medical supplies
• Eyeglasses, Contact lenses
• Hearing aids
• Hearing tools
• Nutritional supplements
• Orthotics
• Plagiocephaly helmets
• Prosthetics
• Specialized formulas
• Specialized equipment
• Van conversions
• Visual tools
• Walkers
• Wheelchair ramps/in-home lifts/home modifications and Wheelchairs
• Other needs that specifically fall within urgent need.

Each situation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and the priority of needs defined.

Approved Priority Two Grants are valid for one year from date of approval letter

PRIORITY THREE

Therapies

• • Speech Therapy
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physiotherapy
  • Massage Therapy
  • Therapeutic Horseback Riding
  • Specially Adapted Tricycles
  • Social Skills Therapies
  • Behavioral Therapies

Therapies are not to exceed a rate of $100 per hour.

Approved Priority Three Grants are valid for one year from date of approval letter.

NOT FUNDED BY COPS FOR KIDS

• Vehicle purchases
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
• Alternative Therapies not supported by the medical community
• Warranties – primary caregivers are responsible for purchasing warranties
• Regular servicing
• Structural changes to vehicles
• Vehicle maintenance
• Vehicle insurance or licensing
• Courses for parents or caregivers

Cops for Kids cannot provide assistance whereby funding is available via Extended Medical, Ministry of Children and Family, and government programs — these agencies must be exhausted before submission to Cops for Kids. We may partner with these and other organizations in a situation wherein there is a shortage of funds.

THE FINE PRINT

Cops for Kids reserve the right to decline funding programs that are not supported by professionals. Grant applications must provide appropriate information to demonstrate why the requested funding is creating a financial hardship for the family, including providing documentation, as required, in preparation for review by the grants committee. If requested documentation is not received within sixty days, the application will be cancelled and the applicant will have to reapply. We reserve the right to ask for further financial documentation to support need or crisis should the grant review committee deem appropriate. Our primary focus is children in crisis.

Any equipment requests, exceeding $500, will require two written quotes to Cops for Kids Charitable Foundation, submitted by email to [email protected].

All equipment granted is to be maintained, and, in the case of equipment, such as wheelchairs, trikes, and items that a child can outgrow, they are to be returned to Cops for Kids so that we may pay it forward to assist another child. Please contact [email protected] to make arrangements for pickup. In the case of an unsuitable product, the supplier will be in contact with Cops for Kids as the purchaser and it will be remedied in consultation of the family. Credits will be made back to Cops for Kids not to the families for any product returned. The recipient’s family is responsible to provide extended warranties on products such as iPads, computers etc. If equipment is abused or neglected, the family will not qualify for further assistance by Cops for Kids. 

While all efforts continue to supply assistance to children in crisis, it is recognized that, from time to time, Cops for Kids Charitable Foundation may have to decline an application due to financial constraints, prudent management of funds or unsupported applications. Cops for Kids reserve the right to make these decisions to ensure the preservation of charitable status and to direct funds to the most critical situations.

Cops for Kids will not reimburse to any family, supplier, or provider unless previously approved and covered with a letter to parent and care professional. Cops for Kids will not be held responsible for any expenses for those neglecting to seek approval prior to receiving treatment or incurring expenses.