The recent announcement by BC’s Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), ending individualized funding by 2025, has galvanized families and organizations across disabilities to raise their voices together because MCFD’s new policy framework is so clearly unworkable.
Thousands of families of children with autism are distraught. Many of those whose children have other disabilities, chronically ignored in BC, are dubious that the government understands the complexities of what it is proposing. The lack of a budget and a detailed plan indicates that BC’s government is not prepared to fund the massive investment in clinicians and infrastructure that is required, after decades of neglect.
Organizations across disabilities are meeting. There is a growing consensus that one model imposed across the province in the name of equity, ignores the diversity of families and the children and adults they support. There is agreement that BC must have a proper child serving system that invests in, rather than neglects, children with disabilities. There is agreement that the Ministries of Education and Health must also transform their negligent practices to invest in neuro-diverse and disabled children to achieve their potential.
ACT believes, based on our experience and what families and clinicians are telling us, that now is the time for families to unite across disability and demand that all of BC’s political parties commit to a non-partisan investment in BC’s most vulnerable children. We are especially concerned that young children, whose access to diagnosis, therapy and education has been largely ignored throughout the pandemic, cannot wait while politicians debate which party is to blame.
Whether you are a family member, friend, service provider or ally, you can support children with disabilities and their families. Write a letter, sign the petition, meet with your MLA, join a rally – these are all effective ways of convincing our politicians that this is an issue that matters to British Columbians. ACT would appreciate being copied on letters emailed at info@actcommunity.ca.
Sign the petition
The petition supporting individualized funding has now reached over 17,500. Add your signature here and share!
Attend one of three rallies – or all three!
Wednesday, November 24: BC Legislature, Victoria In support of individualized funding
Time: 11:00am – 2:00pm
[Register with Autism Support Network]
Thursday, November 25: BC Legislature, Victoria
Supporting equity for disabled children in BC schools
[Register with BCEd Access]
Friday, December 3: BC Government Offices, Vancouver
(Outfront of Canada Place)
Time: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
[Contact BCEdAccess at info@bcedaccess.com]
How to Advocate for Investment in Children
It is time to get organized, not time to despair! Just because a government ministry announces a change, it doesn’t mean it will happen. ACT has put together ‘advocacy tips’ for families getting started. We also call on para-professionals, clinicians, educators, researchers and professional organizations to join with families and the organizations that represent them. Families are exhausted, they need your support and encouragement.
ACT’s “New MCFD Framework for Children with Support Needs” Resource Page
There is information coming from many different sources about the new framework for children with support needs. ACT is organizing this information on a special page of our website. Visit to see the latest information.
If you have a resource that ACT is missing on this page, please email info@actcommunity.ca.
ACT’s Executive Director reports on MCFD’s chronic failure to meet the complex needs of children and disabilities
On November 9, a few hours after MCFD Minister Mitizi Dean met with over 20 representatives of community organizations, including AutismBC, Autism Support Network and Inclusion BC, CKNW carried an interview with Deborah Pugh, ACT’s Executive Director, and CKNW host, Jas Johal. They discussed the long wait lists for current services and the failure of successive BC governments to fund meaningful services for all children across disabilities. You can listen to the interview by scrolling through to 3:14 pm on CKNW’s ‘Audio Vault’ Audio on Demand (globalnews.ca) for November 9.
Breaking News: BC Government reverses decision on Autism Funding
On Friday, November 25, 2022, Premier David Eby announced a reversal of MCFD decision to discontinue individualized Autism Funding in 2025 and committed to maintaining individualized autism funding, engaging in deeper consultation for a new funding and service model for children and youth with support needs. See the press release here.
ACT is committed to encouraging the autism community to advocate for the needs of all children with diverse abilities or disabilities to be funded. There are strong signs that the disability community will stand together in the future.
Individualized funding for autism to be phased out by 2025 and replaced with community service hubs.
On October 27, 2021, the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) announced the end of individualized funding, effective 2025. This will affect the Autism Funding Programs and school-age extended therapy benefits. See the original media release.
Many families across disabilities are highly critical of MCFD’s proposed Framework for Children and Youth with Support Needs (CYSN) policy. However, there is time to develop a community response to this initiative. ACT is working with our community partners across disabilities to develop a cross sector response. We will be posting information on this page as it becomes available.
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 Rally at the BC Legislature in Victoria to demand community consultation and reconsideration of the CYSN framework. [Register via Eventbrite]
Friday, December 3, 2021 Rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery (Georgia Street) Time: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm [No registration]
Thursday, November 25, 2021 Rally at the BC Legislature in Victoria to enable those with disabilities to thrive across government funded systems. Time: 11:00am – 2:00pm [Register with BCEd Access]
Wednesday, November 24, 2021 Rally at the BC Legislature in Victoria in support of Individualized Funding Time: 11:00am – 1:00pm [Register with Autism Support Network]
Other Initiatives:
None scheduled at this time.
Past Initiatives
November 26 to December 2, 2021 Daily Lunch Hour Teach-ins 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Live discussions with organizations and families sharing how the barriers to access to equitable education intersect with all the other systems. [Contact BCED Access: info@bcedaccess.com]
Community Response
Advocacy Tips from ACT
Advice on how to advocate on a system-wide basis so that all citizens across disabilities receive the support they need.
ACT has partnered with supporters to translate our advocacy tips. Now available in Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Punjabi, Farsi, Hindi, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
