(Canada) BC: Autism parents protest funding cut coming next year
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Families with autistic kids protested outside Coquitlam–Burke Mountain MLA Jodie Wickens’ constituency office this afternoon to raise awareness about funding cuts coming next year.
Parents, caregivers and providers held up signs outside of the minister of child and family development’s office on Glen Drive — joining other protesters at Premier David Eby’s community office in Vancouver — to gain support and rally against the province’s decision.
Sara Lindberg of BC Families for Fair Autism Funding said she and her husband anticipate a drop from their current $1,833 a month to potentially $139 a month, as of March 31, 2027, to support their five-year-old daughter. Other parents will lose the crucial At Home therapy program as well, she said.
Their child, Ellee, was diagnosed last year with a Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profile on the autism spectrum. Since then, Lindberg has set up a team of providers.
“This is critical for children from the ages of three to six because they’re the most vulnerable,” she told Freshet News, “so the province’s actions will be devastating for her.”
Lindberg criticized Wickens, who has an autistic child, for reversing her stand once in office.
Amanda Claeys, director of operations for Monarch House, a support service for autistic children that has eight offices in the Lower Mainland, including one in Coquitlam and two in Burnaby, said she’s met with Port Moody–Burquitlam MLA Rick Glumac and Burnaby North MLA Janet Routledge; however, she said, she’s been denied a meeting with Wickens.
Monarch House serves 1,000 autistic children, of which two-thirds may not return come next March when the B.C. model changes from the Autism Funding Unit (AFU), Claeys said.
In February, the government announced to new funding streams to replace the AFU: the B.C. Child and Youth Disability Benefit and the B.C. Child and Youth Disability Supplement.
“We’ve been with these kids for years, watching them grow from children to go to university,” she said. “Now, we are unsure exactly what the changes will mean for families.”
In an emailed statement April 24, Wickens told Freshet News her “door is open and I encourage anyone who wants to connect or has questions to reach out to the ministry.”
She added, “Children and youth with disabilities need better access to the right supports. That’s why we are making a major investment of $475 million [$349 U.S.] in new funding over the next three years, to expand and strengthen services for children and youth with disabilities.”
“The vast majority of families currently receiving funding will continue to receive direct financial support, and thousands of families will receive support they never received before. We engaged in careful consultation with families and service providers to understand how to build a better system, and we heard clearly that the current system isn’t working for many children and youth with diverse needs.”
Wickens concluded, “That said, I understand that any change can create uncertainty and stress for families impacted and as minister, I am committed to supporting them every step of the way through this transition.”
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