The scope of the province’s services for children with support needs and disabilities is set to expand significantly.

At a technical briefing Tuesday morning, Jodie Wickens, Minister of Children and Family Development, announced major system changes designed to make services and funding “fairer, easier to access, and better coordinated.”

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Under the current system, families of children with autism have access to direct funding to purchase services, but the amount isn’t adjusted based on the needs of the child or the family’s income. That funding supported over 27,000 children in the 2024/2025 fiscal year.

Meanwhile, children with other diagnosed intellectual disabilities do not have direct access to the funding. Instead, approximately 2,782 families receive support through an ‘At Home Program.’

Through the new ‘Disability Supplement’ system, the province estimates 33,000 children and youth in lower- and middle-income households will receive “income-tested supplements.”

Meanwhile, as many as 15,000 will receive direct funding through the new ‘Disability Benefit’ with a focus on “children with the most complex support needs, based on functional impact rather than diagnosis alone.”

Wickens says it’s an honour to announce the changes that come with a $475-million investment that will be reflected in the provincial budget to be announced next week.

She says the new system has been designed around research and input from families, service providers, experts, and advocates, and will help the government use its resources more effectively and efficiently.

“Families want to focus on loving, enjoying, and spending quality time with their children, not being exhausted by endless hours of advocacy, navigating complex systems, or telling their story over and over again,” said Wickens.

She admitted that the province had “missed the mark” with its last system redesign in 2022.

“And while this [change] will certainly make a significant difference, I also know that financial support alone is not enough. We need stronger coordination across government and service agencies to improve how families access and experience those services,” Wickens continued, adding that $80 million of the $475-million investment will be used to expand community-based programming.

“This also creates an opportunity to build a system that is better aligned and connected and easier to navigate, less burdened by administration,” she claimed.

Wickens promised the change will not result in any child in B.C. losing access to support.

“Children with autism, who have a functional need, will be eligible for direct funding support. There is a large group of children with autism who currently receive individualized funding, who are on the ‘At Home Program,’ who will be automatically admitted into the new disability benefit,” she explained. “This is expansion of services to thousands more children in our province, and we will ensure that no child is left behind.”

She says the province will work with families to transition to the new system, and those families will have opportunities to challenge assessments or processes.

“The way that they receive services may look a little different, and we know, based on the science and the evidence, that there are targeted ways that we can support different disabilities, and that’s what this redesign is really about. It’s about a tailored approach instead of a one-size-fits-all [system] based on one specific disability.”