WHAT IS THE FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDENTS WITH UNIQUE ABILITIES (FORMERLY GARDINER)?
It is a scholarship that provides hope for so many families throughout Florida. The Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) is an educational savings account program available to kids who have certain medical diagnoses. It is also offered to young children ages three to five years old with a developmental delay in the area(s) of cognition, communication, and/or physical development. The Family Empowerment Scholarship provides funding that enables parents or guardians to best support their child’s learning needs through approved programs and services.
Your child can receive an average of $10,000 for the 2025-2026 school year. Award amounts depend on a child's special need, his or her grade level, and county of residence. The Family Empowerment Scholarship is for eligible children ages 3-22 who are not enrolled in a Florida public school or public school program.
WHAT DOES THE FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP PAY FOR?
It can be used to pay for a variety of approved options that include, but are not limited to the following:
Youngsters Occupational Therapy, LLC is an approved occupational therapy provider for students receiving the Family Empowerment Scholarship.
- Occupational therapy
- Speech and language therapy
- Applied behavioral analysis
- Technology
- Curriculum
- Instructional materials
- For a comprehensive list, please click here.
Youngsters Occupational Therapy, LLC is an approved occupational therapy provider for students receiving the Family Empowerment Scholarship.
IS MY CHILD ELIGIBLE FOR THE FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP?
In order to be eligible for the Family Empowerment Scholarship, he or she must meet the following criteria:
1. Your child must be a resident in Florida.
2. Your child must be eligible to enroll in a Florida public school
5. Your child has a completed Individualized Education Program (IEP)
OR medical diagnosis from a licensed physician, psychologist, or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse to include one of the following:
- A developmental delay in cognition, language, or physical development
1. Your child must be a resident in Florida.
2. Your child must be eligible to enroll in a Florida public school
- prekindergarten by being 3 years old on or before December 31st
- public school (including charter school and Florida Virtual School)
- OR public-school program like Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK).
5. Your child has a completed Individualized Education Program (IEP)
OR medical diagnosis from a licensed physician, psychologist, or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse to include one of the following:
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Muscular dystrophy
- Cerebral palsy
- Down syndrome
- Phelan-McDermid syndrome
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- Spina bifida
- Williams syndrome
- Intellectual disability
- Emotional or behavioral disability
- A rare disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States
- Anaphylaxis
- Hearing impaired, deaf
- Visually impaired, blind
- Dual sensory impaired
- Speech impaired
- Language impaired
- Traumatic brain injured
- Orthopedically impaired
- Other health impairment
- Specific learning disability
- A physical or psychiatric condition or illness that causes confinement to the home or hospital for more than six months
- A “high-risk” three to five year old
- A developmental delay in cognition, language, or physical development
APPLY FOR FAMILY EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP
Youngsters Occupational Therapy, LLC is a Family Empowerment Scholarship partner with Step Up For Students non-profit state-approved scholarship funding organization. You can click here to be directed to the Step Up For Students online application. There are application deadlines, so it is important to apply early. There is no time to wait! For important application deadlines, please click here for the Step Up For Students Parent Handbook.
How do I get more information about the Family Empowerment Scholarship?
You can contact Step Up For Students through the following methods:
Phone:
(877) 735-7837
Website:
https://www.stepupforstudents.org/
Email:
[email protected]
You may also contact the other non-profit state-approved scholarship funding organization regarding the Family Empowerment Scholarship, A.A.A. Scholarship Foundation:
Phone:
(888) 707-2465
Website:
https://www.aaascholarships.org/
Email:
[email protected]
As long as your child remains eligible, you can apply for the Family Empowerment Scholarship every year until deciding to enroll your child in a public school or public-school program. The scholarship is available until your child graduates from high school or turns 22 years old.
How do I get more information about the Family Empowerment Scholarship?
You can contact Step Up For Students through the following methods:
Phone:
(877) 735-7837
Website:
https://www.stepupforstudents.org/
Email:
[email protected]
You may also contact the other non-profit state-approved scholarship funding organization regarding the Family Empowerment Scholarship, A.A.A. Scholarship Foundation:
Phone:
(888) 707-2465
Website:
https://www.aaascholarships.org/
Email:
[email protected]
As long as your child remains eligible, you can apply for the Family Empowerment Scholarship every year until deciding to enroll your child in a public school or public-school program. The scholarship is available until your child graduates from high school or turns 22 years old.
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FOR FAMILY EMPOWERMENT RECIPIENTS
Your child has finally received his or her Family Empowerment Scholarship through Step Up For Students, so congratulations! If you want to apply your child's scholarship towards our occupational therapy services, the process is really simple:
1. You can contact us to schedule an appointment.
2. Then, login to your child's scholarship account using the EMA portal-click on Marketplace, My Scholar Shop, and add our occupational therapy practice, the provider, and service.
3. My Scholar Shop will be used for direct payment after the service has been provided.
1. You can contact us to schedule an appointment.
2. Then, login to your child's scholarship account using the EMA portal-click on Marketplace, My Scholar Shop, and add our occupational therapy practice, the provider, and service.
3. My Scholar Shop will be used for direct payment after the service has been provided.
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I had the opportunity to work with Ashley in a school based setting in California. I can state with absolute confidence Ashley is one of the most competent and skilled occupational therapists I have worked with in my career. She is also wonderfully compassionate, has great interpersonal skills and is always prepared…But her single greatest asset is that her clients make gains. Athena Hagerty Speech-Language Pathologist
CEO and President of Boca Grande Speech Therapy Inc. |