Having a child brings a lifetime of caring and responsibility, even more so if that child has a disability.

Late last year, the Canadian government introduced the Registered Disability Savings Plan. But how does the RDSP work for you or someone you love?

Kathy Bromley wants the best for her daughters but worried about the future for her eldest Shannon.

"So many people with disability in adulthood live in poverty and we didn't want that for our daughter," she explains.

Shannon is involved in many activities. And Kathy hopes with the new Registered Disability Savings Plan, There will be money available for that to continue for her whole life.

"One less worry as we get older with our growing disabled children," she says.

Canada is the first country in the world to have such a plan. A small Vancouver group called "PLAN" --- Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network lobbied for years to make the RDSP a reality.

"What this plan does is it says families are suddenly not on their own," explains Jack Styan with PLAN.

To benefit from an RDSP you must be under 60 years of age and qualify for the Federal Disability Tax Credit. You must be under age 50 to receive the federal grant and/or the disability savings bond. Anyone can make a contribution to a plan -- you don't even have to be related. Contributions are not tax deductible but since the federal government matches funds -- it's actually much better

"For the first $500 the federal government will put in $1,500 so it's actually 300 per cent and on the next $1,000 it's two for one or 200 per cent," explains Styan.

That means when you put up $1,500 dollars -- $5,000 is actually going into the plan

"If you have a child 10 - 15 years old and you contribute $1,500 a year for 20 years and wait the prescribed 10 year waiting period, in 30 years time with the government contributions and the income, people will have between $400,000 and $500,000," he explains.

High-income families get less government help, but once a person with a disability turns 18 -- it's their income that counts -- not the family income. That is the time to maximize the contributions for high-income families because you'll get more government money and can apply for the Disability Savings Bond of $1,000 more per year for low incomes.

"She's still so young we can take full advantage of this," explains Kathy.

Click here for more information about the RDSP Plan.

and click here for the PLAN site.