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Scholarships
Annual Therapy
Scholarships
2027 Annual Therapy Scholarship
The Aidan Project provides scholarships to help families access needed therapy services when they do not have a reasonable source of financial assistance and state-subsidized therapy is unavailable.
A formal diagnosis is not required. Eligibility is based on the child’s documented or suspected developmental need, the recommendation for therapy services, and the family’s access to funding through insurance, early intervention, a school district, or another public or charitable source.
Applications open September 7 and close October 15
at 5:00 p.m. Central Time.
Who Can Apply?
A child may be eligible for a scholarship if:
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The child will be 10 years old or younger on January 1 of the year the scholarship funds will be used.
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The child is receiving therapy services to address a developmental delay or related developmental need.
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The child resides in or receives eligible therapy services within The Aidan Project’s 11-county service area.
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The family does not have adequate funding available through insurance, early intervention, a school district, or another public or charitable source.
Our Service Area
Kansas: Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties
Missouri: Cass, Clay, Henry, Jackson, Johnson, Platte and Ray counties
What Can a Scholarship Support?
The Aidan Project scholarships support therapy services that address developmental delays or related developmental needs.
Eligible needs may include:
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Speech development
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Language development
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Communication
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Motor skills
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Sensory processing
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Feeding
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Cognitive development
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Social-emotional development
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Play skills
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Adaptive and self-care skills
A formal diagnosis is not required.
Children with diagnoses such as autism may qualify when the requested therapy is addressing an eligible developmental need.
Scholarships may be considered when another funding source:
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Is unavailable;
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Does not cover the requested therapy service; or
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Does not provide enough support to meet the child’s therapy needs.
Families may still apply when they have insurance or another source of assistance if that funding does not adequately cover the therapy their child needs.
What Scholarships Do Not Cover
Scholarship funds may not be used for:
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Adaptive equipment
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Durable medical equipment
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Assistive devices
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Supplies
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Other non-therapy items
Before you Apply
Please be prepared to provide information about:
Your child and their developmental needs
The anticipated cost of services
The therapy services your child is receiving or has been recommended to receive
Insurance and other sources of funding or assistance available to your family
The therapy provider
Any supporting documentation requested in the application
All required application information and supporting documents must be received by 5:00 p.m.
Central Time on October 15, 2026.
Applications that are missing required information or documents after the deadline may not be considered.
How the Scholarship Process Works
1. Apply
Complete the online scholarship application between September 1 and October 15, 2026.
The complete application and all required supporting documents must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Central Time on October 15.
2. Application Review
After the application period closes, The Aidan Project’s scholarship review committee will evaluate eligible applications.
As part of the review process, the caregiver who submitted the application may be asked to participate in a phone or virtual interview with a member of The Aidan Project staff.
We may also contact you if we have questions or need additional information about your application.
3. Award Notification
Award decisions will be emailed to families on or about December 15, 2026 at the email address provided in the application.
Please provide an accurate email address and monitor your inbox, including your spam and junk folders, during the review period.
4. Accept Your Award
Scholarship awards must be accepted by December 31, 2026.
If an award is not accepted by the deadline, it will be forfeited and the funds may be offered to another eligible applicant.
5. Use Your Scholarship
Scholarships awarded through the 2026 application cycle may be used for eligible therapy services provided on or after January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2027.
All scholarship funds must be used for eligible therapy services received during the 2027 calendar year. Unused funds expire at the end of the year and cannot be carried forward. Scholarship funds are used to pay therapy providers directly. No funds are provided directly to families
Important Dates
September 7
Scholarship application opens
December 31
Deadline to accept a scholarship award
October 15 at 5:00 p.m. CT
Application and supporting-document deadline
January 1
Scholarship funds may begin being used for eligible therapy services
October 15–December 1
Applicants may be contacted with questions or requests for additional information
Following December 31
Final date for services funded by a 2027 scholarship
On or about December 15
Scholarship award notifications sent
Following March 31
Final deadline to submit bills for 2027 scholarship-funded services
If You Receive a Scholarship
Scholarship recipients will be asked to complete an online follow-up survey and share feedback about their experience and their child’s progress.
Families may also be invited to share a family story, testimonial, photograph or artwork to help demonstrate the community impact of The Aidan Project.
Questions?
If you are unsure whether your child or requested therapy may qualify, or if you have questions about the scholarship application, please contact us at:
Therapeutic Summer Camp Scholarship Guidelines
1. Program Overview
The Aidan Project’s Therapeutic Summer Camp Scholarship program helps families access day camp experiences that include a meaningful therapeutic component for children with developmental delays or related developmental needs.
Scholarships are intended to reduce financial barriers when a family would otherwise have difficulty accessing an eligible therapeutic summer camp.
2. Eligibility Requirements
A child may be eligible for a Therapeutic Summer Camp Scholarship if:
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The child is 17 years old or younger at the time of camp participation.
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The child resides in or attends an eligible therapeutic day camp within The Aidan Project’s 11-county service area.
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The camp is a day camp and includes a meaningful therapeutic component designed to support developmental, behavioral, communication, sensory, motor, social-emotional, adaptive, or related needs.
The Aidan Project’s service area includes:
Kansas: Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties
Missouri: Cass, Clay, Henry, Jackson, Johnson, Platte and Ray counties
3. Eligible Camps
Scholarship funds may be used only for day camps that include an intentional therapeutic component. The therapeutic component should be a defined part of the camp program rather than simply an incidental benefit of participation.
Eligible camps may support areas such as:
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Speech, language or communication
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Motor development
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Sensory processing
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Social-emotional development
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Social skills
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Behavioral regulation
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Adaptive or self-care skills
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Play and peer interaction
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Other developmental or therapeutic goals
4. Ineligible Camps and Expenses
Scholarship funds may not be used for:
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Overnight or residential camps
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General recreational camps without a therapeutic component
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Travel, transportation or lodging
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Meals or other expenses that are separate from the camp fee
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Equipment, supplies or other non-camp purchases
5. Application Timeline
The Therapeutic Summer Camp Scholarship application opens March 1 and closes April 15.
All required application information and supporting documentation must be received by 5:00 CST on the application deadline.
Scholarship award decisions will be communicated to families on or about May 1.
Scholarship funds must be used for eligible therapeutic day camp participation no later than August 31. Any scholarship funds not used by August 31 will expire and may not be carried forward.
6. Application Information
Families should be prepared to provide information about:
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The child and their developmental needs
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The therapeutic summer camp the child plans to attend
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The camp provider or organization
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Camp dates
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The cost of participation
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The therapeutic component of the camp
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Any other information or supporting documentation requested in the application
Submission of an application does not guarantee a scholarship award.
7. Scholarship Use and Follow-Up
Scholarship funds must be used for the approved therapeutic day camp and within the approved scholarship period.
Scholarship recipients may be asked to complete a brief follow-up survey or provide feedback about their child’s camp experience and the impact of the scholarship.
Scholarships are paid directly to the camp provider.
8. Questions
Families who are unsure whether a camp qualifies or who have questions about the application process may contact The Aidan Project at info@theaidanprojectkc.org
The Aidan Project awarded
37 scholarships
Total award
amount over
$110,000
Award recipients receive services from
15 different clinics
Award recipients represent
30 different zip codes
in the KC area
Over 60% of scholarship recipients describe their therapy needs as
“long term”
Over 50% of families describe their child's therapy needs
as “high”
Over 50% of households have multiple children with pediatric therapy needs
93% of families
reported positive progress from the therapy they
have received
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SCHOLARSHIPS
HELP!
"As a family of 7 facing multiple health needs and financial challenges this year, there’s no way we could have provided these amazing therapies for our daughter without the help of The Aidan Project."
All donations collected from our website will go directly into our scholarship fund. Click HERE to donate now.