CYSN Community Engagement 2023-2025
Last updated on February 10, 2026Learn about the public engagement work that helped inform changes to supports and services for children and youth with support needs.
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Overview
Between 2023 and 2024, the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) undertook extensive public engagement to inform the future of services and supports for children and youth with support needs (CYSN) in British Columbia.
This initiative to engage came in response to the piloting of proposed changes in the service landscape in 2022.
Who we engaged
The ministry heard from thousands of British Columbians on what they envision for the future of services for children and youth with support needs and their families in B.C., including from:
- Parents and caregivers
- First Nations Rights and Titleholders
- Métis and urban Indigenous peoples
- Experts, practitioners, and advocates
- Historically underrepresented groups (e.g., immigrant, refugee, BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+ families)
- Partner organizations in the child development sector
A distinctions-based approach was used to ensure culturally safe and respectful engagement with Indigenous communities. Funding was also provided to First Nations communities and Indigenous-led partner organizations to support meaningful participation.
Other research
MCFD staff also analyzed information from other sources, including:
- Reports provided to MCFD by the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth.
- Reports and policy proposals provided by external partner organizations.
What we heard
Participants consistently emphasized the urgency of improving access to services and identified several key priorities:
- Greater funding for CYSN services to support child and family well-being.
- The expansion of direct funding (e.g., Autism Funding) to additional children and youth with disabilities, based on need, with greater flexibility in how that funding can be used by families.
- A shift in how the needs of a family are understood and measured.
- Intervention to address long wait times for diagnostic services.
- The separation of CYSN services from the ministry responsible for child protection.
- A streamlined approach to services under one ministry.
- The Ministry of Health was most often cited as the ideal ministry to hold responsibility for services.
- Including a way to address silos between mental health services and support needs services to support an integrated approach to service delivery.
- The strengthening of the community-based service sector through:
- Funding enhancements and streamlined policies.
- Integrated family support, behaviour supports and mental health supports through community-based service sector providers.
- A response to regional inequity experienced by families and service providers in rural and remote areas.
- Improved access to inclusive child care and supports through the school system.
- Centralized services that can provide clinical expertise and consultation to support the local community-based professionals in the delivery of services.
Next Steps
Feedback received through engagement will inform future service design as the Ministers of Children and Family Development and Health fulfill their commitment to working collaboratively with Indigenous peoples, key partners, and those with lived experience to realign and improve services for children and youth with support and mental health needs in B.C.
Learn about the improvements coming in 2026
Community engagement and reports
From 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
- Received engagement reports and proposals from several community partners
2024 CYSN engagement report
Over 2023 and 2024, the Province heard from thousands of British Columbians about their ideas, perspectives and experiences with CYSN services. Engagement revealed several reoccurring themes and recommendations.
This report captures the feedback that was shared during the broader engagement, partner engagements and engagement with First Nations Rights and Titleholders.
First Nations Rights and Titleholders engagements
The Province engaged with First Nations Rights and Titleholders to build a better system of supports that are co-developed with First Nations communities.
- Read the engagement summaries for the sessions
- View the visual summaries for each of the topics explored during the engagement series
Symposium speaker series summaries
From November to December 2023, a speaker series was held to connect participants to experts and provided opportunity learn more about the evolving concepts that impact service delivery.
- Trends related to children and youth with medically complex support needs (link this list to summary reports)
- Key components of an effective system of services
- Individualized funding: a review of the international research literature
- Mental health needs of children and youth with support needs
- Inclusion, quality of life and community networks of support
- Increasing behavioural complexity and needs of children and youth with neurodevelopmental disorders
Community partner engagement reports
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.
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)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.
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
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.
Health Sciences Association of BC
Engaged with members of the Health Sciences Association of BC (HSA), and over 100 frontline staff working in child development centres.
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
Community partner proposals
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.
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.
Evaluation of the piloted changes to CYSN services
MNP LLP, in partnership with Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC), were contracted to carry out an evaluation of the piloted changes to CYSN services in four communities (Kelowna, Prince Rupert, Terrace and Smithers).
Piloted service changes included:
- Goal-Focused and Developmental Services delivered by pilot family connections centres
- Disability Services and Provincial Services delivered through MCFD
Learn more about the piloted CYSN services. The results from the evaluation will be shared soon.