VACD's Educational Assistance Program (EAP)
by Volunteers to Assist Children with Disabilities Ltd
Key EAP Eligibility criteria for recipients under the EAP program are:
1. A VACD child who regularly attends school and VACD, shows high academic potential and performance and comes from a low-income household/family.
2. A sibling of a VACD registered child who shows academic potential and performance, comes from a low-income household/family and where the VACD child who regularly attends VACD does not show academic potential or abilities.
3. The facility must be withdrawn after reasonable notice is given to the parents/guardians of the VACD child or the sibling of the VACD child who comes from a low-income household/family if there is a continuous lack of any unquestionable academic progress.
4. Eligibility for EAP should stop when the VACD child leaves school, turns 18, stops attending VACD or household/family income improves, except should the VACD board decide to extend the period of the facility for special reasons.
Key operating guidelines for EAP
1. EAP provides financial assistance when eligible criteria are met for educational purposes that ensures that a child with academic potential is not deprived of an education.
2. In the case of a VACD child who does not possess academic abilities, his/her sibling meeting the criteria may be considered favorably to receive this assistance with the intention that this initiative would lead to this sibling providing much needed financial support and assistance to the disabled child once parental/guardian support is not available;
3. VACD must maintain a priority list of short listed children to be included in this program that are selected on the basis of family finances, their academic potential (after a process of examining their school report cards over a period) and on the basis of the school Principal’s recommendations;
4. Quarterly reviews must be conducted by a special panel consisting of some members of the leadership team along with the parents’ group to ascertain that EAP beneficiaries perform consistently at school since the facility was made available and how funds have been utilized by children receiving this allowance;
5. The allowance is to be spent on educational needs only, for example: schoolbooks and other school needs
6. A quarterly audit must be conducted by the EAP panel to reconcile bank statements with receipts in respect of monies spent by parents/guardians and check the child’s academic performance and school attendance.
7. Any parent unable to account for expenses with documentary evidence and demonstrates a continuous and clear case of misuse or abuse of the facility should be given adequate notice and the facility withdrawn.
8. Any child or sibling receiving this allowance who consistently displays no inclination to improve their academic potential or does not appear to be benefitting from the EAP program should be removed from the program and the opportunity to receive this benefit given to a child on the waiting list;
9. Parents/Guardians of each VACD EAP recipient should be reminded at every quarterly assessment meeting their responsibility in using the EAP allowance wisely and responsibly, with a view to improving their lives and those of their families.
10. Children who are short listed to receive the Educational Assistance Program and become eligible to join the program and receive a regular allowance must fulfil all the criteria and produce the latest evidence supporting their eligibility.
11. Any child receiving EAP who finishes school or turns 18 years old will no longer be eligible, unless there are exceptional circumstances which should be brought to the notice of the Sri Lanka board for their consideration.
12. Due to this ongoing strict process, all sponsorship funds are pooled and paid out monthly and no child is earmarked or singled out for special or individual sponsorship.
13. The application of the VACD child protection and similar polices must be adhered to by the VACD leadership with proper weight and due consideration being given to prevailing child protection guidelines and the prevention of abuse legislation etc. as a preventative measure to deliberately avoid linking EAP recipients with donors.
