What the Ministry's "Confidential Consultations" list actually shows

On April 23rd, 2026, we submitted an FOI request to the Ministry of Children and Family Development asking for "a list of any and all organizations or advocates that provided direct consultation on the new CYSN Funding model," between November 1, 2022, to April 22, 2026. What we received back was a single page document titled "Confidential Consultations on CYSN Redesign Model, February 2025 to April 2026."

The list of names included the organization people were affiliated with, as well as whether they signed an NDA.

But, it's not the whole story.

The RecordThe document, in full

Below is the complete list as released to us, with no redactions.

The GapPeople on the list tell a different story

One person on the list says they were not consulted at all: consultation meetings were cancelled and never rescheduled. Feedback was given AFTER the redesign was announced. Incomplete documents were sent the night before the redesign announcement. Does this sound like consultation?

Dr. Pat Mirenda, Chair of the BCDC, is another person on the list, under the category "Academic." Dr. Mirenda clarified in a statement:

"Prior to February 2026, in my capacity as Chair of the BC Disability Collaborative (BCDC), I repeatedly contacted MCFD representatives to request the summary of engagement reports that was promised in December 2024. I was also consulted via email and Zoom on assessing individual child and youth needs under the new CYSN framework. I was presented with various draft approaches, all of which I rejected as inequitable, overly restrictive, and burdensome to families. After the framework was released, I met with Minister Wickens and other MCFD representatives, again in my role as Chair of the BCDC, to address the many concerns arising from the new model and to advocate for a broader approach to needs assessment." — Dr. Pat Mirenda, Chair, BC Disability Collaborative

What We ConfirmedReaching out to the names on the list

Others on the list may have had similar experiences, and we emailed all but two people whose contact was not publicly listed anywhere. However, because NDAs were signed, people on this list may be trying to figure out what they can say publicly, or may not be able to speak out at all.

The OmissionAt least one consultant is missing from the record

Additionally, we know at least one other person was consulted, but is not on that list: Public contract records show Jennifer Engle was retained to review "autism and/or psychoeducational assessments, providing interpretations, clinical expertise and advice to the province" between April 2023 and March 31, 2027 (the end of the Autism Funding Unit and School Aged Extended Therapy through the At Home Program).

Who Isn't HereNotably absent voices

You also may notice limited representation on this list: what about advocates and organizations representing the Métis, FASD, ADHD, Deaf-Blind and other disability communities? Were they not consulted?

The Timeline ProblemWhy does the record start in 2025?

As for the dates, why does the document we received start February 2025, when the request was consultations dating back to November 2022? Is February 2025 when consultation for the CYSN funding redesign began? Was there no consultation prior to this?

We wrote an email to Minister Jodie Wickens, Assistant Deputy Minister Emily Horton, as well as MCFD staff and media contacts asking for clarification on how MCFD consulted with the people on this list, as well as why the date begins in 2025, and why there may be names missing. As of today, we have not received an answer back. Likewise, we asked for the government FOI Analyst handling this request to double check with MCFD that this is a complete record. We will update if and when we receive answers.