Premier David Eby and Mitzi Dean, Minister of Children and Family Development, met with representatives from the First Nations Leadership Council and AutismBC, as well as BC’s representative for children and youth, to discuss improving services for children and youth in need support.
At this meeting, they shared that the government would retain individualized funding for children diagnosed with autism, rather than phasing it out in 2025, as announced in October 2021. They also pledged to engage in deeper consultation with parents and caregivers, First Nations, Indigenous Peoples, communities, experts and practitioners and other stakeholders with lived experience to understand how the system can be transformed and together build a better support system, developed together with local communities.
“Every child in British Columbia should have the support they need to thrive,” said Premier Eby. “We are focused on listening to the families of children and young people in need of support. We will work collaboratively with all partners to make sure our services work for every child.”
Dean said: “Our focus is to ensure that children and young people have the support they need to thrive. I look forward to working with our partners to build a province where services are provided that meet the unique needs of all children and youth.”
The commitment made by Premier Eby and Dean includes the following elements:
- Maintaining individual funding for those diagnosed with autism even beyond 2025, including those who will be diagnosed in the future.
- An engagement process co-designed by First Nations leadership and disability community leaders in partnership with government.
- A pause in the implementation of BC’s plan to create a network of family connection centers, except for the four pilot projects that are about to be launched. The four pilots will be evaluated during the trial.
- Meanwhile, new investment as the new system is being developed to help children with disabilities and support needs that are not currently being adequately met, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (known as FASD), Down syndrome and other neuro-cognitive disabilities of development.
Cheryl Casimir, political leader of the First Nations Summit, said: “I applaud Premier Ibi for this decision to change course. This decision shows that the Prime Minister has listened, understood and provided leadership. This is a good day because it gives everyone an opportunity to transform the system in a way that supports all children with all disabilities.”
Kukpi7 Judy Wilson, secretary-treasurer, Union of Indian Chiefs of British Columbia, said, “We agree with the province that the system needs to be transformed for all children with disabilities. This is an important step forward. Having an appropriate evidence-based process, respecting the free, prior and informed consent of First Nations, consistent with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and maintaining and supplementing existing funding, now allows us to move forward together for building a service model that will really work.
Regional Chief Terry Teague, Assembly of First Nations in British Columbia said, “Services for children with disabilities must be rights-based and evidence-based. For First Nations children, this means that they are supported in culturally safe and informed ways, with the full participation of their families and communities, and through laws, policies and practices that are designed and implemented in ways that respect their nation’s jurisdiction . Such a rights-based and evidence-based system has never existed in British Columbia. Today’s announcement – finally – gives us the chance to get it right. Now we need to work together in the right way and make the future better for all children with disabilities.”
Julia Boyle, CEO of AutismBC, said: “Many families will be incredibly relieved to know that they can keep their direct autism funding and the service providers that support their children with autism. We thank the Prime Minister for listening to these families and respecting this choice. Much more work needs to be done to better serve families and children who are being left behind in the current framework for children and young people with support needs. We look forward to doing this work together.”
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