Waiting for FSCD? Here's What You Can Do While You Wait
Imagine opening your email every morning, hoping today will be the day. You refresh your inbox. You check your voicemail. You answer every unknown phone number, just in case.
Days become weeks. Weeks become months. Eventually, waiting starts to feel like part of everyday life.
For thousands of families in Alberta, this isn’t just a feeling. It’s the reality of waiting for support through the Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) program.
According to a recent CBC News report (June 2026), an estimated 20,000 children are currently waiting for support through Alberta’s Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) program. Some families have reported waiting three to five years to be assigned a caseworker, while the program receives approximately 500 new applications each month.
Behind these numbers are families doing everything they can while waiting for support.
One parent shared online:
“We’ve been approved… but it’s been 20 months, and we still haven’t heard anything.”
Others described similar experiences, long wait times, uncertainty, and wondering what they could do while they wait.
The early years matter. Every month is an opportunity for children to learn, grow, and build new skills.
While you can’t always control how long services take, there are practical steps you can take today to support your child, prepare for what’s ahead, and feel more confident moving forward.
Start with a Plan
Download the Caregiver Roadmap
Not knowing what to do next can be one of the hardest parts of waiting. Without a clear timeline, it’s easy to feel uncertain about the next step. But there are steps you can take today.
If you’re not sure where to start, the Caregiver Roadmap can help you understand the disability support system, explore available resources, and identify practical next steps after a diagnosis or while waiting for services.
Even if you haven’t been assigned an FSCD caseworker yet, you can begin by:
- Understanding the services available to your family
- Identifying your family’s priorities
- Identify ways to support your child today
- Learning what to expect in the months ahead
- Planning for future conversations with service providers
Taking small steps today can help you feel more prepared for the future.
Download the Caregiver Roadmap and take the first step today.
Connect with Families Who Understand
Many parents say the hardest part isn’t the wait, it’s feeling alone.
Connecting with other families who truly understand your experience can help you feel supported.
As one Gateway parent shared:
“Through Gateway, people experience similar challenges and connect to other families on the same journey. You need other families for support at one time or another in life.” -Adam’s family
You don’t have to figure everything out on your own.
Join a Families Forward meeting and connect with families who understand.
Keep Track of Your Child's Progress
Keep a record of your child’s progress while you wait.
Consider keeping records of:
- Assessment reports
- Therapy recommendations
- School or daycare observations
- Your child’s strengths, challenges, and milestones
- Questions you’d like to ask your future caseworker or service providers
Keeping everything in one place makes it easier to explain your child’s needs when services begin.
It can also remind you how far your child has come.
Explore Supports Available Today
FSCD is one source of support available to families. While you’re waiting, you may also be eligible for other government benefits, funding programs, school-based supports, or community services depending on your child’s needs and your family’s situation.
If your child is starting or returning to school this fall, remember that you do not need an FSCD contract to access many school-based supports. Depending on your child’s needs, supports such as Program Unit Funding (PUF), which provides additional funding for eligible preschool children, Alberta Education coding, which helps schools identify and support students with specialized learning needs, and specialized school programs may still be available. Your neighbourhood school can help you learn what programs and supports are available for your child.
You may also be able to access other services while you’re waiting, including:
CASA Mental Health: Provides mental health services for children and youth, including counselling, psychiatric care, and school-based mental health supports.
Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital: Offers rehabilitation services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and developmental assessments. Many services are accessed through a physician’s referral.
Kids Included: Supports children with disabilities in participating in child care and community programs by providing inclusion resources and supports.
Gateway also offers Vision and Planning Workshops, where families can learn more about these supports, explore available resources, and plan for the future with greater confidence.
You Don't Have to Wait Alone
Waiting is hard. You don’t have to do it alone.
There are practical steps you can take today:
- Download the Caregiver Roadmap to better understand your options and plan your next steps.
- Join a Families Forward meeting to connect with other families, share experiences, and learn from people who understand what you’re going through.
As one Gateway parent shared:
“Reach out for help. Don’t think everything can be done on your own.”
At Gateway Association’s Family Resource Centre, families can connect with others who understand their experiences, access workshops and resources, and learn about supports available in the community.