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Managing your Passport funding just got easier!
MyDirectPlan (MDP) has launched new features to help you better manage your Passport funding!
With these new features, you no longer have to input your funding amount each year, and you can:
- view your budget in real time
- see funding used, claims under review, and remaining balance
- always have the most up-to-date funding and account information
Plus, with MDP, you can:
- track and submit mileage directly
- use your account on the web or mobile app
- get support through email, one-on-one calls, and step-by-step YouTube videos
If you have questions about these changes, visit mydirectplan.com/passport-faqs or watch this YouTube video to get started.
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Are you a person managing funds (PMF) for a Passport recipient?
The Passport program is asking PMFs to tell us about their experiences. Your answers will help to make the program better for all funding recipients. The survey will take about 15 minutes to fill out.
IMPORTANT: Your participation in the survey is voluntary, and it won’t have any impact on the recipient’s funding or relationship with the program.
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⏰ The clock is ticking on filing past claims ⏰
If you still have eligible expenses from last fiscal year (2025–2026) and earlier, now is the time to gather your receipts and send them in.
After March 31, 2027, you will not get reimbursed for expenses from before April 1, 2026. You need to have funds left in past years’ budgets and receipts for eligible items to submit claims.
Learn more at passportfunding.ca/filing-claims.
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What to know about DSO and Passport
Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) and the Passport program have different roles in providing services. Here’s what you need to know.
✅ There are 9 DSO offices across the province. Adults with developmental disabilities can apply to DSO to see if they are eligible for government-funded services. Once you are confirmed eligible, you can complete the assessments to determine what level of supports you need.
✅ Everyone who is confirmed eligible for services with DSO, is automatically eligible for the minimum amount of funding ($5,500) with the Passport program. To accept this funding, you must ask your DSO for a referral to the Passport program, then your local Passport agency will contact you to complete the paperwork so you can use your minimum funding—this process can take up to 3 months.
✅ Passport funding is to help adults with developmental disabilities participate in their community and live more independently. After your DSO assessment, you could be approved for more funding depending on your assessed need, priority, and available government resources. If you are eligible for more funding, your local Passport agency will let you know. Approval for additional funding could take some time; please be patient until your Passport agency contacts you.
✅ The Passport program is administered by 11 agencies across the province. They help Passport recipients’ use their funding according to the Passport program’s guidelines. Click here to see what your agency can help you with.
NOTE: Passport is a reimbursement program—that means, you first buy items or services that are eligible under the guidelines, then submit your receipts and invoices to get your money back. You can submit your claims electronically using eCLAIM or MyDirectPlan, or you can complete a manual claim form and submit it with your receipts by email, fax or mail.
Check out this helpful chart for a look at how DSO and Passport work.
| | How do I get a funding increase? | |
Answer: Funding increases are determined by the Ministry’s automated system
Passport funding amounts are determined through an automated system. The system sets funding amounts based on your DSO needs assessment, priority level, and available government resources. It is important to keep your area DSO up to date about any changes in your situation so they can update the system.
IMPORTANT: Your Passport agency and local DSO cannot increase your funding amount, but they can help you keep your information up to date in the system.
You can learn more about how funding amounts are decided on page 5 of the Passport guidelines.
| New online resources available now | |
There are two new resources on the passportfunding.ca website:
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NEW LIST Category and Item Limits: Use this easy-to-follow list to see what categories and items have spending limits under the Passport program
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NEW VIDEO Claim deadline and mileage log: watch this YouTube video for a full explanation of the claim deadline and how it will impact your claim submissions, including how to fill out a mileage log
| How will you be using your funding to enjoy the season? | Please take a few minutes to tell us how Passport funding has helped you. | | |
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What can you buy with your Passport funding?
Your funding can help cover the costs of admissible items that fall under any of the 10 different categories in the Passport guidelines.
Item categories in the Passport guidelines:
- Community Participation Supports (page 11)
- Activities of Daily Living (page 12)
- Employment Supports (page 13)
- Caregiver Respite Services and Supports (page 13)
- Support Worker Hours and Expenses (page 13)
- Transportation (page 14)
- Technology (page 15)
- Community Participation Supports Supplies and Equipment (page 16)
- Person-directed Planning (page 17)
- Administrative Supports (page 17)
Some of these categories have spending limits—you can check out this new resource to see what categories have limits.
IMPORTANT: You can spend your funding on whatever items you choose that are admissible under the guidelines. For example, you don’t have to spend $3,000 on technology and $2,000 on CPS supplies and equipment every year. If you don’t need any technology or CPS supplies and equipment items, you can use your funding for admissible items that benefit you that fall under the other 8 categories.
If you have questions about admissible and inadmissible items, the Passport guidelines are a great place to start. If the guidelines don’t answer your question, reach out to your Passport coordinator.
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Passport program Myth Busters: Dispelling rumours and bringing clarity, one fact at a time...
MYTH: Mileage can be claimed for all travel for the Passport recipient.
FACT: You can only claim mileage for travel to and from admissible Passport activities.
The Passport program will only reimburse travel for admissible Passport activities, such as travel for community participation activities, respite, employment and/or volunteer work.
Travel to and from medical appointments, shopping, banking, and personal holiday/vacation travel are not admissible. Support worker travel to and from their home or place of employment is also inadmissible.
Page 14–15 of the Passport Guidelines provides a detailed list of admissible and inadmissible mileage/travel expenses.
| | Attention All Support Workers! | | |
Are you a direct support worker hired by a family?
Please take this survey!
The Developmental Services Workforce Initiative (DSWI) is inviting employees or independent contractors who work directly for families or people receiving Passport funding to complete the survey for the Directly Hired DS Workforce.
DSWI would like to learn more about the workforce hired by families and their perspectives and experiences working directly for families and people with disabilities.
ACTION REQUIRED: Please share the following link with any contractors or employees you hire to provide supports and services.
| | Stories from Passport recipients! | | |
It was so amazing. I loved watching the baby Toronto Maple Leafs [win] and play. I was on TV cheering them on for the final goal in the shooting and I made [an] amazing friend. I got the best gym membership ever. Hugest ever thank you, forever grateful.
—Richard, Hamilton, ON
🏒Go baby Toronto Maple Leafs! 🎉Thanks for sharing your experience, Richard, we’re so happy to hear that Passport funding is helping you participate in and enjoy your community!💙
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| |  | Hello everyone. In general, Marie-Helene is a super happy young adult. She is not quite 5 feet tall. She is non-verbal, has severe autism along with G.D.D., and is never fed orally. She feeds 7 times a day, every 2 hours, taking in liquids only, through her G-tube. As mentioned, she is a super happy young lady!!! With the help of Passport, Marie-Helene gets more curriculars that make her “extra happy”. In the summertime she enjoys camping and swimming, and, in the wintertime, she enjoys visiting different places such as Museums and places where she can express her emotions and just be a “kid”. While she does all these things, mom and dad get to rejuvenate during this respite time. It is nice to get some downtime while she is away. Marie-Helene needs routine in her life and we are able to support one very qualified outside caregiver. She enjoys spending time with this caregiver and vice versa. Thank you to Passport for this humongous opportunity that is given to us, mainly Marie-Helene. It is all greatly appreciated. Without Passport her quality of life would not be so enhanced. Thanks again Passport.
“Give a child a little love and get so much more in return.”
—Raymonde, Marie-Helene’s mom, Ottawa, ON
Thanks, Raymonde, for sharing Marie-Helene’s story! May her light continue to shine brightly 💖🙏
| | Visit passportfunding.ca/news to register for upcoming MyDirectPlan training and information sessions with live questions and answers. | |
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