Getting financial and other types of support
Information on where to get financial, practical and emotional support for families of children with disability.
Financial support
Depending on your situation, there are several payments you may be able to get if you care for a child with disability or a medical condition. This includes:
- Carer Adjustment Payment – a lump sum payment if you care for a child with a severe illness, medical condition or major disability
- Carer Payment – an ongoing payment for the main carer of a child with severe disability or illness
- Carer Allowance – an ongoing payment if you give additional daily care to a child with disability or a serious illness
- Child Disability Assistance Payment – an automatic yearly payment if you get the Carer Allowance for a period that includes 1 July
- Essential Medical Equipment Payment – a yearly payment to help with energy costs to run medical equipment or medically required heating or cooling.
Find out what financial help is available for those caring for a child with disability or a medical condition at Services Australia.
You may also be eligible for other types of financial support for families.
Other types of support
If you have a child with disability, your doctor or midwife can put you in touch with a support group in your local area.
You can also find information and support at:
- Parent Line NSW on 1300 1300 52 for information, confidential counselling and help accessing support services
- Carers NSW on 9280 4744 for information, counselling and support for carers
- Raising Children for information and resources if you have a child with disability
- National Disability Insurance Scheme for an early childhood approach for children younger than 6 with developmental delay or younger than 9 with disability
- Raising Them Strong: Caring Together to help kinship and foster carers looking after Aboriginal children with disability
- Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW on 1800 629 072 offer advocacy services and projects for all people in NSW with disability and their families and carers. They have a special focus on families with a non-English speaking background.