Summer is a great time to get outdoors, try new activities and explore interests. But with so many choices, how can you stretch your recreation budget and still give your child a meaningful experience?
Use Family Support Funds/NEON
County Boards of Developmental Disabilities (BDDs) may offer funding to families who meet eligibility requirements. Each county has its own rules, and you’ll need to check with your County BDD. Programs in Northeast Ohio include:
Look for Scholarships
Some programs offer scholarships to help income-eligible families with their program costs. This is just a sampling — it never hurts to ask your program provider whether financial assistance is available.
Check Out Free/Low-Cost Programs
Free and low-cost programs are offered at local libraries, community recreation centers and through Metroparks programs. Here are a few examples in our area:
Apply for Grants
Some grants allow you to use funding directly for recreation activities. Other families use grants to pay for other needs (like therapy or adapted equipment), freeing up money to spend on recreation. Our Guide to Finding Funding has dozens of grants that can help.
Ask Us
Our Family Resource Specialists are all parents too, and we know how hard it can be to juggle expenses. Think of an Ask Us call or quick request as a chance to brainstorm together and uncover options you may not have tried yet!
