Eby promised to maintain individualized autism funding after 2025, now families are being cut off
VICTORIA, B.C.: The B.C. NDP government is walking back its promise to thousands of families to maintain individualized autism funding for children after 2025, leaving thousands of families facing the loss of direct supports they rely on.
In November 2022, Premier David Eby publicly committed that government would “maintain individualized funding for children with an autism diagnosis… even after 2025, including those who are diagnosed in the future.” Stating that “every child in B.C. should have the supports they need to thrive.”
But last week, the NDP announced changes that end direct autism funding and replace it with a new model that ties benefits to “functional impact” and income.
“Premier Eby looked families in the eye and promised individualized autism funding would be maintained after 2025,” said Trevor Halford, Interim Leader of the B.C. Conservative Caucus. “Now the NDP is breaking their promise and phasing out direct autism funding, cutting thousands of families off. It’s the same pattern with David Eby’s government: overpromise and underdeliver. Three years ago, the premier promised stability. Now he is pulling the plug on his commitment due to his reckless spending and financial mismanagement,” he added.
Government estimates indicate more than one in three children with autism currently receiving support, roughly 36.5%, will get less financial help, affecting over 10,000 kids and families with autism.
“Families don’t experience this as a ‘policy redesign’, they experience it as therapy hours lost, progress interrupted, and parents forced to choose between paying out of pocket or going without,” Reann Gasper, MLA for Abbotsford-Mission, and Critic for Children and Family Development for added. “If the NDP believes this is the right direction, they should at least be honest that they’re breaking their promise and apologize to these kids and families.”
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Media Contact:
Francesca Guetchev, Press Secretary
Francesca.Guetchev@leg.bc.ca
+1 (672) 922-0948
