AdvocacyIn the Press: AutismBC’s Advocacy on MCFD Funding Changes
AutismBC
For Allies, Caregivers, Professionals
October 27, 2021—AutismBC board president Kaye Banez spoke to Global regarding MCFD’s initial announcement. “Learning the individualized funding will be phased out is very concerning for many families. These families have established the support their families need through the stability of the individual funding. The children are striving with customized support.”
October 27, 2021—Banez says the needs-based model raises questions around who determines what those needs are and expressed concerns about the province having adequate levels of service providers.
October 28, 2021—Kaye Banez expresses concerns about the province’s decision to move the Children and Youth with Support Needs framework to a centralized hub model.
Watch: B.C. government releases new support model for neurodiverse children| Global News
November 4, 2021—Kaye Banez: “We have parents who have put together supports for their children through this funding, and are very concerned about what these hubs will provide and whether it will be the same providers and services.”
Read: Concern and outrage after changes to BC’s autism funding system | Daily Hive News
November 10, 2021—Kaye Banez’ responds to information sessions with the ministry. “There is no faith that this new framework is actually going to work because there has been no transparency or consultation that has happened prior and we don’t see it happening now… How can we have faith in this ministry when we’ve been shut out?”
February 10, 2022—“In a recent analysis of previous research, Dr. Pat Mirenda, Professor Emeritus from the University of British Columbia identified shortcomings in these assessment tools.”
Read: Proposed changes to BC autism funding under fire in recent analysis | CKPG Today
February 11, 18, 2022— Kaye Banez, AutismBC’s Board President, services providers and other parents from different disability communities speak about MCFD’s proposed Family Connections Centres and funding changes in this documentary by 新時代電視 Fairchild Television.
Part 2
February 22, 2022—“Autism BC is disappointed by the lack of new provincial investment in urgent services for neurodivergent and disabled children and youth ‘left out’ of current programs. We remain deeply concerned about how the BC NDP will fund and operate its new needs-based system,” Julia Boyle wrote.
Read: B.C. budget does little to reassure concerned families of kids with autism: advocates | CityNews
November 21, 2022—On Monday, Kaye Banez, president of Autism B.C., attended the Legislature in Victoria to present the group’s latest survey — this one showing that just four per cent of more than 1,000 people surveyed were in favour of the Children and Family Development Ministry’s new Family Connections Centre model.
November 21, 2022—AutismBC is at the Legislature today to present their report, Parent and Caregiver Perspectives on Family Connections Centres, and to urge Premier David Eby to reverse the NDP’s callous and harmful decision to end direct funding for children with autism, as 96 per cent of survey participants want continued access to the program.
Read: AutismBC report an indictment of NDP’s autism funding clawback | BC Liberal Caucus
November 21, 2022—Julia Boyle speaks with Simi Sara on the morning of AutismBC’s visit to Victoria to present their report.
Listen: How are Family Connections Centres impacting children on the spectrum? | Global News
November 21, 2022—Parents and caregivers of children with autism in B.C. are continuing their fight against a new service model being introduced by the provincial government.
November 21, 2022—AutismBC surveyed 1,563 parents and primary caregivers across the province in April, 96 per cent of whom do not want B.C. to phase out its current individualized funding structure.
Read: Only 4% of surveyed caregivers support B.C.’s change to autism funding model: report | Global News
November 21, 2022—Over the last 10 months, AutismBC has run a research project, reaching out to parents and families for their thoughts about the change of funding for children diagnosed with autism.
Read: AutismBC fighting back against funding changes | CKPG Today
November 21, 2022—President of Autism BC, Kaye Banez, says parents are expressing concerns about the new model. “You’re going to cause a lot of grief and trauma to so many families, right?” she told CityNews. “There’s not a strong support for this move to the family connection centers.”
Read: Majority of B.C. parents don’t support changes to autism care, survey finds | City News
Read our other articles on this topic: autismbc.ca/mcfd
Resources
Further Reading
34 Disability Organizations write to MCFD
December 3, 2021 Honourable Mitzi Dean Ministry of Children & Family Development PO Box 9724 Stn. Prov Govt Victoria, BC V8W 9S2 RE: […]
Media Release: Provincial budget doesn’t address services for B.C.’s most vulnerable children and youth
We travelled to Victoria on Feb 22, 2022 to attend the 2022 Budget Lock-Up and left disappointed by the lack of investment in programs for children and youth with support needs who do not benefit from existing programs.
Analysis Finds Serious Shortcomings in MCFD’s Proposed Assessment Tools
You can read it here or click the image below: What are the shortcomings? In late 2021, BC’s MCFD announced changes to how it […]
