Questions to the Minister: what was answered, and what wasn't
21 questions raised on behalf of families. A response to every one. Not every worry resolved.
Replies printed May 26, 2026. Page last updated October 2026.
Reann Gasper, MLA for Abbotsford-Mission and Official Opposition Critic for Child Care and Children and Youth with Support Needs (CYSN), put 21 written questions on notice, raised on behalf of families, to the Minister of Children and Family Development, Jodie Wickens. The Minister's reply was printed in the Legislature's Votes and Proceedings on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Every question received a response, two of them by pointing back to an earlier answer, and that matters.
A reply is not always an answer. Below, we separate what the Ministry said, which is on the public record, from our view of what is still unresolved. Where a reply disputed the question's premise without dealing with the worry behind it, deferred to "implementation," or left out the dates, names or guarantees the question asked for, we have marked it partially answered.
Some figures, such as the 85% of surveyed providers and the 10 to 15% of children projected to lose all funding, come from the questions, not the replies. We mark them from the question.
At a glance
What we believe is still unresolved:
- Which programs, exactly? Service categories and a few example programs (Strong Start, Mother Goose, Foundry) were named, but no curriculum, and no specific model beyond broad approaches such as positive behaviour support. (Q2)
- Parent coaching and family support. The reply points back to Q3, which doesn't mention either service. (Q4)
- The funding gap. Autism Funding ends March 31, 2027, and the first Supplement payments arrive in July 2027. The reply gives no answer for families who rely on the Supplement in between. (Q6)
- Who delivers care if providers close? The reply rejects the claim that many providers will close and lists general options, but gives no plan for regions where providers do close. (Q7)
- Who owns the impact on independent providers and small businesses? No statement of responsibility. (Q8)
- Youth caught between rollout phases. No specific plan for youth who don't qualify for the Benefit, or whose funding won't keep their team, before expanded services reach their region. (Q9)
- The research behind the decision. A real citation list, but judging by the titles, nothing on abuse risk, gender-affirming care or parent burnout and trauma, all of which the question named. (Q10)
- Adult transition. A mix of existing programs and planned expansion, with no mention of the job skills training the question asked about, and no commitment on what, where or when. (Q11)
- Shared custody. Who receives the payment is left to "implementation," and the reply doesn't mention mediation. (Q12)
- Who was consulted. Groups and some organizations were named, and the reply says providers were free to take part, but it doesn't respond to frontline workers' concern that they weren't consulted. (Q14)
- The children losing all direct funding. The reply says "funding levels may change for some families" but doesn't address the from the question 10 to 15% projected to lose all of it. (Q16)
- Hours outside 9 to 5. Evenings and weekends where community need and provider capacity allow, but nothing specific on early mornings, statutory holidays or full service care. (Q17 and Q18)
- The evidence base. Types of data were listed, but not the specific dates or named sources the question asked for. (Q19)
- Crisis preparedness. None of the five supports the question listed was confirmed; the reply points to existing services instead. (Q20)
- Why some children can lose everything. The reply explains why funding isn't demand-driven for every child, but doesn't address why it is acceptable for from the question up to 15% to lose all funding. (Q21)
Questions we consider answered
Open a question to read the Ministry's reply.
Will children keep their trusted providers, including families who receive little or no direct funding? (Q1)
The redesign is meant to keep and expand access to trusted providers, not replace them. Direct funding to families rises from about $190 million to about $326 million a year once fully in place.
Families on Autism Funding keep it until March 31, 2027, or until they are successfully transitioned.
Families who qualify for the Disability Benefit (up to $17,000 a year, based on functional need) or the Supplement can keep working with their existing providers. The Ministry says about 74% of current Autism Funding recipients are expected to receive $4,000 to $6,000 a year through the Supplement, which it expects will let most families keep some or all of their therapy team.
Families with no direct funding are pointed to expanded, free community-based services delivered through Child Development Centres, Indigenous-led organizations and participating private providers.
If a child receives individualized therapy now, how will continuity be protected? (Q3)
Families eligible for the Disability Benefit receive $17,000 or $6,500 a year based on assessed need, so children with the highest needs keep access to intensive, individualized support. Families with adjusted net income under $200,000 may also receive the Supplement, up to $6,000 a year.
The Ministry points to spending data: Autism Funding recipients over age 6 spend about $4,100 a year against a $6,000 entitlement; under age 6, about $16,000 against $22,000. Families using both Autism Funding and School-Age Extended Therapy (SAET) average about $13,000. Community-based programming is set to grow by about 40% over three years.
The Minister said community services will be neuroaffirming. What does that mean in practice, and what informed it? (Q5)
Neuroaffirming care is described as the standard in BC: support should focus on autonomy, participation and well-being rather than making a child appear "typical," and should reduce reliance on masking. The Ministry does not prescribe a single therapeutic approach, and supports a range of "evidence-informed" approaches chosen by clinicians and families.
The Ministry says the approach draws on clinical expertise across disciplines, a provincial engagement and expert speaker series (2023 to 2026), research on outcomes for children with developmental disabilities, and input from families and people with lived experience.
Will there be grants for private providers to keep serving their "Level 1/2" clients? (Q13)
No. The redesign "does not include direct operating grants to support specific private for-profit service providers."
Instead, the Ministry says, more direct funding goes to families (the $190 million to $326 million figure), so they can keep buying private services, while community-based services expand through agencies, Indigenous-led organizations and private providers who choose to take part.
What research found that therapeutic horseback riding has no therapeutic value? (Q15)
None. The Ministry says it "has not concluded that therapeutic horseback riding has no therapeutic value, and did not undertake a review concluding that equine therapy is ineffective."
It says families could use Autism Funding for horseback riding therapy where a qualified professional recommended it, and that the redesign focuses public money on core supports (paediatric therapies, behavioural and mental health support, family support and navigation, and school-age services) and on children with the greatest needs.
Questions we consider partially answered
The Minister responded to each of these. Where we believe the reply reassured without resolving the worry, or left out the specifics asked for, we show both what was said and what we think is still missing.
What specific evidence-based curriculums and service models will community programming use? (Q2)
The reply lists the kinds of service involved: behaviour intervention and positive behaviour support, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, mental health and counselling, infant and early years programs and supported child development, family support and navigation, specialized Autism and complex developmental supports, and school-based therapies and youth programming. It names a few example programs (Strong Start, Mother Goose, Foundry). Services are delivered by multidisciplinary teams, many of whom are regulated professionals, and are described as "evidence-informed."
The question asked for specific evidence-based curriculums and models. The reply names categories of service and a few programs, but no curriculum, and no specific model beyond broad approaches such as positive behaviour support. It describes its approach as evidence-informed rather than evidence-based. Knowing a speech-language pathologist will be involved isn't the same as knowing what a child will receive.
How will individualized services such as parent coaching and family support continue? (Q4)
"(see above)": the reply points back to the answer to Q3, which covers Benefit and Supplement amounts, average spending and the growth in community programming.
The question asked specifically about parent coaching and family support services. The Q3 answer it points to doesn't mention either.
Why does Autism Funding end March 31, 2027 when the Supplement doesn't start until July 2027? (Q6)
"There is no intended gap in funding or supports." Autism Funding stays in place to March 31, 2027, and the Disability Benefit will be fully in place by April 2027 for all eligible families currently on Autism Funding. The Supplement's timing reflects "administrative sequencing, including alignment with federal delivery systems."
The reply covers families moving onto the Benefit. It doesn't explain how a family who depends on the Supplement bridges the months after Autism Funding ends, or how providers are paid in that window, both of which the question asked. "Administrative sequencing" doesn't help a parent who can't pay for therapy in April, May and June 2027.
If 85% of surveyed providers aren't confident they'll be open past March 31, 2027, who will support the children? (Q7)
The Ministry says more money than ever is going to families, that the model doesn't restrict access to private providers, and that "assertions that a large proportion of providers will not remain viable do not reflect the increase in total funding flowing directly to families, and risk creating unnecessary concern among parents." It lists three options for families: private providers funded through the Benefit and Supplement, expanded community-based services, and interdisciplinary teams across the province.
The reply rejects the claim of widespread closures and lists general options, but gives no plan for a region where local providers do close. More money to families doesn't help if there's no provider nearby to spend it on.
from the question The 85% figure and the 308 responses come from the question, which describes them as "a service provider impact survey." The Ministry does not accept the claim.
What responsibility does the government take if its model causes many independent providers and small businesses to close? (Q8)
"The assertion that a significant majority of providers will shut down is not supported by the full scope of investments and design of the model." The Ministry says its responsibility is to direct public funding in a way that is "equitable, sustainable, and responsive to need," and that providers have the opportunity to adapt their service models.
No statement of responsibility for the impact on providers and small businesses. The reply reframes the question rather than answering it. from the question The estimate that 85% of independent providers will shut down comes from the question; the Ministry rejects it.
If services for youth are years away, how are youth and families supported in the meantime? (Q9)
"The assertion that services for youth will not be available for several years is not accurate." The Ministry describes a phased expansion from 2026 through 2028: early intervention first, adding capacity for another 3,000 to 4,000 children, then later phases that expand behavioural, mental health and family supports for older children and youth. Families keep Autism Funding to March 31, 2027, and those eligible for the Benefit move to ongoing direct funding.
A specific answer for youth who don't qualify for the Benefit, or whose funding won't keep their current team, before expanded youth programming reaches their region. The Ministry's own timeline puts expanded programming for children and teens in spring 2028.
What research did the Ministry consult on Level 1 and 2 Autism and suicide, mental health, abuse risk, gender-affirming care and parent experience? (Q10)
The Ministry gave a citation list, including Farrow et al. (2024) on functional difficulties in Autistic children and youth; Lai et al. (2023) on self-harm and suicide among Autistic people in Ontario; Longmore et al. (2025) on depressive symptoms in Autistic youth; Marquis et al. (2024) on mental health diagnoses for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities; two Public Health Agency of Canada reports and two Statistics Canada reports; a Canadian Institute for Health Information report (2023); the Mental Health Commission of Canada (2022); and the Representative for Children and Youth reports Still Left Out (2023) and Too Many Left Behind (2025). It also listed its own speaker series and engagement.
This is a real, specific list, and it deserves credit. But judging by the titles, it is mostly general Autism and child mental health research. None of the titles addresses sexual, physical or emotional abuse risk, gender-affirming care, or parent burnout and trauma, all of which the question named.
How will youth be supported into adult transition, for example job skills training? (Q11)
"Once again, the assertation that services will be unavailable for youth for several years is not accurate." Youth will be supported through Benefit funding, expanded community programming (including life skills and social participation supports), earlier transition planning, and systems beyond CYSN: education, health, Persons with Disabilities supports through Social Development and Poverty Reduction, and Community Living BC.
The reply mixes existing programs with planned expansion. It doesn't mention the job skills training the question asked about, and makes no commitment on what is available, where and when, for a youth who needs transition support now.
In shared custody, how are decisions made about the Supplement, and who receives it? (Q12)
The Benefit and Supplement will follow standard federal and provincial shared-custody practices, including Canada Revenue Agency rules. Who receives the payment "will be confirmed as part of implementation" and may work like Autism Funding does now. Decisions about how the money is used "remain the responsibility of parents or legal guardians, consistent with existing family law frameworks." Navigation supports "do not play a role in legal decision-making between parents."
Who receives the payment is still undecided. The reply says only that it "may operate similarly" to Autism Funding, without confirming that the parent who held Autism Funding will stay the payee. It doesn't mention mediation, and parents who disagree are left to family law.
Why were frontline workers and professional groups not consulted, and who specifically was? (Q14)
The Ministry says the redesign "reflects years of extensive public engagement in which parents, service providers, and all British Columbians were free to participate." It describes engagement from March 2023 to December 2024 with parents, First Nations Rights and Titleholders, Métis and urban Indigenous peoples, clinicians, researchers, community organizations and underrepresented groups. It names some contributing organizations, including the BC Disability Collaborative, Family Support Institute, Down Syndrome Resource Foundation and ADHD Advocacy Society of BC, and points to the CYSN Engagement Report (2023-2025) and a "What We Learned" summary (2025). It also says engagement was meant "to inform understanding of needs… not to directly design the funding model."
The individual names and roles the question asked for. The reply says providers were free to take part, but doesn't respond to frontline workers' concern that they weren't consulted. The Ministry's statement that engagement was not meant to design the funding model is worth noting in itself.
What responsibility does the government take for the children projected to lose all direct funding? (Q16)
The Ministry says its 2022 commitment was to maintain individualized Autism funding "while engaging with families, Indigenous partners, and the sector to design a stronger and more inclusive system of supports," and that the redesign reflects that commitment. Autism Funding continues to March 31, 2027. It says overall investment is rising and that "while funding levels may change for some families," all families will have access to a broader system of supports.
Any acknowledgement of, or responsibility for, the families who will lose direct funding entirely. "Funding levels may change" is not an answer for a family losing all of it. from the question The 10 to 15% estimate comes from the question. The reply neither confirms nor disputes it.
Will community programming be available outside Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, and in different locations? (Q17 and Q18)
Programming is described as flexible, including "evenings and weekends, based on community need and provider capacity." It is offered virtually, in centres, at home, in childcare settings, in Indigenous communities, in recreation programs and in other community settings.
Timing and location depend on family needs and preferences, as well as clinical considerations, equipment and travel. Expanded investment is "intended to increase overall service availability and flexibility over time, including improved access outside traditional hours."
The question also asked about early mornings, statutory holidays and full service care. The reply doesn't specifically mention any of them.
How long was data collected on Autism Funding and the piloted hubs, and from which sources? (Q19)
The Ministry says the redesign is informed by "multiple years of data and evidence," including "multi-year" Autism Funding and SAET program data, over a decade of education system data, public data on Autism assessment waitlists, "the independent evaluation of piloted service approaches," and engagement from 2023 to 2025.
The question asked for specific dates and specific sources. The reply gives types of data, not dates, and mentions the pilot evaluation without naming it.
What crisis supports are prepared for families losing trusted care? (Q20)
"The premise that families will lose access to trusted providers is not accurate." The Ministry says most families will be able to keep key parts of their child's team, and points to existing Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) services and crisis supports, navigation help, and "ongoing collaboration" with Health and Education partners. It says the redesign is meant to reduce crisis risk.
The question listed five specific supports: a 24/7 crisis line staffed by qualified professionals, CYMH access without long waitlists, a way to be reassessed for the Benefit, a guarantee of qualified professionals rather than students or assistants, and more resources for schools and hospitals. None of the five was confirmed. The reply points to existing CYMH and crisis supports without saying whether they are available 24/7, free of long waitlists, or getting new resources. It is a general reassurance, not a crisis plan.
Why not keep individualized funding like Autism Funding for every Autistic child, and why is it acceptable for some to lose all funding? (Q21)
The Ministry says "a fully demand-driven approach for all children, regardless of level of need, does not equitably distribute resources, and creates significant fiscal risk," limiting support for those with the most complex needs.
It describes the redesign as a near doubling of direct funding, paired with a broader system of supports, and aimed at distributing resources by functional need.
The question's second part asked why it is acceptable for from the question up to 15% to lose all funding, and a larger share not to receive enough for a therapy team. The reply doesn't address that part.
Source: Reply to Reann Gasper from the Hon. Minister of Children and Family Development in response to written questions on notice. Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Votes and Proceedings, Nos. 69 and 70, Second Session, 43rd Parliament, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Official record. Question numbers refer to the numbered questions in that reply. Ministry reply boxes summarize the Minister's answers; words in quotation marks are quoted from the record: the reply, or the question where we say so. "What's still missing" boxes are the analysis of Fair Autism & Disability Funding BC. The July 2027 Supplement start date is from the Province's Disability Supplement page (last updated August 17, 2026), and the spring 2028 date from the Ministry's Expansion of Community Based Services timeline.