This petition is prompted by the recent announcement regarding the plan to dissolve the Autism Benefit Program March 31st, 2027, and introduce two new direct funding initiatives, which include the Child and Youth Disability Benefit and the BC Children and Youth Disability Supplement. These new initiatives will offer funding for children with developmental disabilities outside of the Autism diagnosis, who were not previously supported. While some families will receive support for the first time, this comes at the cost of reduced funding for children with certain types of Autism (such as DS5-1 and DS5-2) who are no longer classified as having a high enough level of need.

For those just learning about these supports, they include Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy (OT), and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). This support aims to foster independence, improve social interactions, and manage sensory or emotional challenges.

I am advocating for my daughter, and many other families with Autism DS5-1 and DS5-2 diagnosed children, who stand to lose needed funding for early intervention (0-5 years old). Proposed changes by the BC government threaten to reduce our current funding from $22,000 a year to a range of $7,300 to $12,500 depending on income. This funding difference means reducing our current support programs significantly, or losing them altogether. This loss would interrupt the progress these children are making, and stress family resources to their limits.

Families currently receiving BC Autism Funding have already endured extensive paperwork and long waiting periods to secure essential supports. Now, they would be forced to apply for the Disability Tax Credit (T2201) requiring a medical practitioner’s signature (average $200+ fee), only to receive a fraction of their previous funding. These new programs are also planning to pay these funds directly to families rather than through a dedicated service portal. This will leave struggling parents to choose between keeping the fridge stocked or supporting their children's newly reduced developmental supports.

Backpack Buddies reports that food insecurity affects 33% of BC children and 44% of children in single-parent homes, with an increase of 47% in grocery costs since 2020. It’s simply unrealistic to expect these funds to cover expensive developmental supports when families are struggling just to put food on the table. 

This sudden change in policy contradicts the promise made by the BC government to provide adequate support for currently enrolled children. We don’t need a payout! We want a better future for our children.

Please sign my petition, and join me in sending a message to our BC MLAs to express these concerns and keep this funding fair and inclusive to ALL children in need of support without sacrificing the support that our children are currently receiving.