CYSN community engagement
Last updated on March 17, 2025From March 2023 through December 2024, the Province collected feedback as part of its overall work to design an effective system of services for children and youth with support needs. The Province received engagement reports and proposals from several community partners.
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The Province collaborated with community partners that have experience and established relationships with local communities across B.C. Together, they engaged in meaningful dialogue about the future of Children and Youth with Support Needs (CYSN) services. The community partners who submitted reports to the Province include:
ADHD Advocacy Society of BC
Engaged with families and individuals with lived experience of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Read ADHD Advocacy Society of BC’s report Part A (PDF, 1.3MB) and Part B (PDF, 2.8MB).
BC Complex Kids Society
Reached out to families with lived experience of raising medically complex children and the community teams that are partners in their care. A full report is pending.
BC Disability Collaborative
Worked with its member organizations to understand how to better advocate for disabled children, youth and their families/caregivers. Member organizations include:
- Provincial (B.C.) non-profit organizations and associations registered under the Societies Act
- Other organizations that support disabled children and youth and their families/caregivers
Read BC Disability Collaborative’s report (PDF, 2MB).
Community-led Collaboration Project
This project provided opportunities for communities to design and host conversations that offered service providers and families of children and youth with disabilities and support needs an inclusive space to talk. Conversations centered around their needs, wants, hopes and expectations for better services and supports.
This project was led by:
- BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres
- The Federation of Community Social Services of BC
- Inclusion BC
- BC Association for Child Development and Intervention
Read the Community-Led Collaboration Project Report (PDF, 7.7MB).
Down Syndrome Resource Foundation
Supported people living with Down syndrome and their families through programs, services and information resources. Read the Down Syndrome Resource Foundation’s report (PDF, 211KB).
Family Support Institute
Reached families and individuals with lived experience of complex care needs, dual diagnosis, and transitioning to adulthood. Read the Family Support Institute’s report (PDF, 647KB).
Health Sciences Association of BC
Engaged with members of the Health Sciences Association of BC, and over 100 frontline staff working in child development centres. Read the Health Sciences Association of BC’s report (PDF, 3.5MB).
Inspire Kids FASD Support Society of BC
Connected with families and individuals with lived experience of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). A full report is pending.
Reciprocal Consulting Inc.
Contracted by the MCFD to support engagement with communities that are currently underserved. This includes:
- English-as-a-learned-language, immigrant, refugee, BIPOC, LGBTQ2S families
- Families caring for children who are deaf and hard of hearing
- Families caring for children who are blind and partially sighted
Read Reciprocal Consulting Inc.’s report (PDF, 603KB).
The Province received community partner proposals that outlined recommendations and solutions on how to improve CYSN services.
BCACDI’s Service Delivery Transformation
Developed by BC Association for Child Development and Intervention (BCACDI) to advocate for and deliver services to children and youth with support needs and their families across B.C. The paper proposes solutions to provincial CYSN services, emphasizing the benefits of enhancing agency-coordinated services and a hybrid service delivery model. Read the full paper (PDF, 5.3MB).
Parents and Professionals Plan
Submitted to the Province by a group of parents of children with disabilities, as well as medical and therapeutic professionals. The plan recommends enhancing and expanding individualized funding and an integrated service delivery model. The authors state their suggestion will evolve as more families with children with different disabilities share their views. Read the plan (PDF, 3.6MB).