Commonly Asked Questions

Families, caregivers, service providers and community organizations have consistently shared that the current system can be difficult to navigate and that access to supports can vary depending on diagnosis, geography and financial circumstances.

The new Child and Youth Disability Benefit (the Disability Benefit) program is intended to create a more equitable, responsive and family-centered approach that improves access to supports and services for children and youth with support needs across British Columbia.

• Family supports and disability services (respite, homemaker, family support, behavioral consultants) continue along with health and medical supports / nursing support services and CYSN social worker access (families will not lose their social worker).

• Community-based programming (Infant Development Programs (IDP), Aboriginal Infant Development Programs (AIDP), Supported Child Development (SCD) programs, Aboriginal Supported Child Development (ASCD) programs, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) key workers, pediatric occupational, physio and speech and language therapies) continue, with expansion.

• Early intervention remains a priority, and the new model allows children to access support before diagnosis.

• Private providers remain essential and can be accessed with direct funding.

• Registry of Autism Service Providers (RASP) continues through March 2027.

Schools are unaffected. These changes are supported by new investment of $475 million, and funding for schools is not being reduced. Supports and funding provided by the education system are not affected. If your family qualifies for the Disability Benefit and/or the Supplement, this will not negatively impact any support children and youth receive through their school. Inclusive education policies and processes remain unchanged, and school boards will continue to directly receive funding in relation to the needs of children across their district, just as they do now

Yes, it is ending on March 31, 2027. Children and youth currently receiving Autism Funding will continue to receive it until March 31, 2027. All families that are eligible for the Autism Funding Program will be considered for eligibility for the Disability Benefit. Families will be informed of eligibility decisions for the Disability Benefit before March 31, 2027.

The Disability Benefit is a new direct funding program for children and youth who are likely to require intensive and sustained supports across their lifespan, including possible lifelong caregiving or supervised living. Eligibility is based on a child or youth’s overall support needs and functional impacts across daily life. Eligible families may receive, depending on the child or youth’s level of need, $6,500 per year or $17,000 per year. Funding continues until age 19, once a child is eligible.

Direct Admit Pathway (diagnosis-based):

• For children who already have a diagnosis linked with high and ongoing support needs. Those who automatically qualify include (but are not limited to):

  • Moderate to profound intellectual disability

  • Certain clinically defined syndromic disorders such as Down Syndrome and Angelman Syndrome)

  • Concurrent FASD and intellectual disability

  • Autism with the most pervasive needs, e.g. with intellectual disability

  • Severe self-injurious behaviour (SIB)

  • Degenerative conditions with predictable decline

  • Palliative conditions

  • Some forms of cerebral palsy

Needs-Based Review Pathway:

• Does not require a specific diagnosis and considers how a child’s combined needs affect their daily life

• Eligibility can be determined through a professionally administered functional assessment; health-care provider attestation of limitations; and consideration of real-world functional impact

The Disability Benefit is a new program with a new eligibility process. Families are being invited to submit the information they would like considered to determine their child’s eligibility for the new program, which is intended for children and youth with significant and ongoing disability-related support needs who require intensive and sustained assistance in daily life. That’s why families are being invited to submit information and documentation that describes their child or youth’s current needs and ongoing support requirements. Eligibility for the CYDB will be determined using the information and documentation submitted through this process. No child or youth will be excluded from a review of eligibility based on non-completion of the form; however, this review will occur after the end of the Autism Funding Program (March 31, 2027).

The Child and Youth Disability Benefit (CYDB) is a new program with a new eligibility process. To decide if a child or youth is eligible, the Ministry needs current information about their support needs.

Families are being invited to share information and documents that describe their child or youth’s current needs. By sharing this information, families are also giving the Ministry permission to review the documents they want considered for CYDB eligibility. The Ministry will only review information and documents shared through this process when determining eligibility for the CYDB. If it is relevant in highlighting your child or youth’s support requirements, supplementary information that has been completed by someone other than a clinical professional can be included. Supplementary information may not be sufficient to determine eligibility for the Disability Benefit without accompanying information completed by a clinical professional.

No. The Ministry is not reassessing or questioning any child’s diagnosis. The review is intended to help the Ministry understand a child’s current support needs for the purpose of determining eligibility for the Disability Benefit. Eligibility is based on support needs rather than diagnosis alone

The form should be completed by the Autism Funding Agreement Signatory having primary care and control of the child, or by the legal guardian of the child

Families are encouraged to submit any existing clinical and supporting documentation that helps to describe their child or youth’s needs, functional impacts and ongoing support requirements. Examples include:

• Detailed autism assessment or diagnostic reports

• Psychologist reports

• Pediatrician reports

• Psychoeducational assessments

• Mental health assessments

• Speech-language, occupational therapy or physiotherapy reports

• Behavioural support reports

• Other clinician-completed documentation that families would like considered

Please refer to the eligibility table webpage here for further clarification.

The Disability Benefit is a new program with a new eligibility process. Families are being invited to submit the information they would like considered as part of the review.

By submitting information through this process, families provide consent for the Ministry to review and use that information to determine eligibility for the Disability Benefit. New assessments are not required.

No. This is not a mandatory requirement. Families are encouraged to submit any existing documentation that helps to describe their child or youth’s support needs. A full autism assessment may be helpful, if available, but families are not required to obtain or submit new assessments.

No. Families are not required to obtain any new assessments for this process. They should submit any existing clinical documentation, such as assessments and reports, that is already available that helps to describe their child or youth’s current needs and support requirements.

Yes. Families are encouraged to submit the most recent information they already have available. Older assessments may still be submitted.

If families would like to submit an assessment but do not have a copy, they can contact the clinician, organization or school that completed it. Families currently receiving Autism Funding may use existing Autism Funding to cover the cost of obtaining copies of assessments, up to $300.

Families currently receiving Autism Funding may use existing Autism Funding to cover the cost of obtaining copies of assessments, up to $300. Existing documentation of any age will be accepted. While you are not required to obtain any new assessments, this $300 can also be applied toward a new document(s) if needed.

Yes. Autism assessments can look different, depending on when they were completed and who completed them. If a child has an autism assessment, families may submit it, even if it does not include a level. The Ministry will consider the information provided about their child or youth's needs, strengths, functioning and support requirements as part of the eligibility review process

Yes. Families may submit any existing documentation, such as assessments, reports or other documentation that helps to describe their child or youth’s needs and support requirements. If it is relevant in highlighting your child or youth’s support requirements, supplementary information that has been completed by someone other than a clinical professional can be included. Supplementary information may not be sufficient to determine eligibility for the Disability Benefit without accompanying information completed by a clinical professional. If submitting an IEP, you may therefore also wish to include other relevant information such as psychoeducational assessments, specialist reports, therapy reports, mental health assessments and other clinician-completed documentation

No. There is no required number of documents. Families should submit information that best describes their child or youth’s current support needs

Yes. Families are encouraged to submit any documentation they have available that helps to describe their child or youth’s strengths, needs, functional impacts and ongoing support requirements. If a child’s autism assessment is the only documentation available, families are invited to submit it. Families are not required to obtain additional assessments or reports

The information you submit will be used to help determine if your child is eligible for the BC Children and Youth Disability Benefit. The Ministry is collecting this information under the authority of section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA), which authorizes the collection of personal information that relates directly to and is necessary for an operating program or activity of a public body.

You can find the information below in the new submission form:

The personal information collected on this form is for the purpose of assessing eligibility for the BC Children and Youth Disability Benefit. We are collecting your personal information under section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act protects the personal information from unauthorized use and disclosure. If you have any questions about the collection, use, or disclosure of this information, please contact the Director of Service Transition at the Children and Youth with Support Needs (CYSN) Policy Branch, at MCF.ChildrenYouthSupportNeeds@gov.bc.ca or by mail at PO Box 9719 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria, BC V8W 9S1.

By submitting the form and documents, you are giving the Ministry permission to use this information to determine eligibility for the Disability Benefit. Only authorized Ministry staff and qualified clinical professionals supporting the review process will have access to this information.

Submitting information through this process is voluntary. Eligibility for the Disability Benefit will be determined using the information and documentation submitted through this process.

No child or youth will be excluded from a review of eligibility based on non-completion of the form; however, this review of eligibility will occur after the end of the Autism Funding Program (March 31, 2027).

Yes. Funding Agreement Signatories or legal guardians must submit a separate form for each child or youth.  Families should not combine information about different children or youth into one form

The Disability Benefit is intended for children and youth with significant and ongoing disability-related support needs who require intensive and sustained assistance in daily life.

There are two ways to qualify – direct admission and needs-based review. This approach creates a consistent process for families, while still allowing flexibility to consider each child’s unique situation.

Eligibility is based on the overall nature, intensity and persistence of a child or youth’s support needs rather than diagnosis alone. For more detailed information about the eligibility criteria, please refer to the eligibility table.

The eligibility criteria for the BC Child and Youth Disability Benefit were developed with input from clinical experts and informed by research and evidence about childhood disability and support needs.

The Disability Benefit is intended for children and youth who have intensive and ongoing support needs that are expected to continue throughout their lives. The eligibility criteria reflect these support needs and help to identify which children and youth are eligible for the Disability Benefit.

The goal is to ensure the assessment of the needs of each individual child or youth is fair, evidence based and provides access for children who may not be easily captured through traditional diagnostic categories.

Eligibility decisions consider the overall nature, intensity and persistence of a child or youth’s disability-related support needs and the level of ongoing assistance they require in daily life.

Information submitted by families may help to describe needs related to:

• Communication and understanding

• Daily living skills, such as eating, dressing, bathing or personal safety

• Learning and development

• Safety and supervision needs

• Behaviour and emotional regulation

• Mental health and wellbeing

• Medical or health-related needs

• Participation at home, in school and in the community

• Expected ongoing support needs into adulthood

Children and youth do not need to experience challenges in every area to qualify. Eligibility decisions consider a child or youth’s overall support needs and the impact those needs have on daily life.

Yes. Not every diagnosis, condition or circumstance can be included in the examples provided. A diagnosis does not need to appear in the examples to be considered as part of the eligibility review. Families are encouraged to submit any existing information and documentation that helps to describe their child or youth’s strengths, needs and ongoing support requirements.

No. Ongoing assessments will not be required. Eligibility for the Disability Benefit is based on a child or youth having a specific diagnosis, or on having combined, long-term needs that create significant challenges in daily life. Due to the long-term nature of these needs, families will not be asked to repeatedly re-assess their child’s needs to remain eligible.

The Ministry will review the information that families share to determine if a child or youth meets the direct admission criteria for the Disability Benefit.

In situations where the information and documentation submitted do not demonstrate that a child or youth meets the direct admission criteria, clinical experts will review the documentation to help determine the child or youth’s level of support needs and their eligibility for the Disability Benefit.

No, eligibility decisions will not be made by artificial intelligence (AI). Eligibility determinations will be made by the authorized Ministry and qualified clinical professionals who review information and documentation submitted by families.

All eligibility decisions will be made by the Ministry and qualified clinical professionals.

The Ministry is not using AI technology to process documentation. Technology tools may be used to support administrative processes, such as organizing or locating information within documents submitted by families. These tools do not make decisions about eligibility. All eligibility decisions will involve human review and decision-making by the Ministry and qualified clinical professionals.

The Ministry may use administrative technology tools to help manage and process large volumes of information. For example, technology such as optical character recognition (OCR) may be used to convert information contained in documents into searchable text or help organize information for review. These tools are intended to support administrative processes and improve efficiency. They do not determine eligibility, make decisions, or replace human review and professional judgment.

No. The Disability Benefit is intended for children and youth with the most significant and ongoing support needs. Eligibility decisions will be based on the information submitted and reviewed

Confirmation of Previous Diagnosis may not provide detailed information about a child or youth’s support needs. If families have other existing documentation, such as assessments, reports or documentation that describes their child or youth’s strengths, needs, functional impacts or ongoing support requirements, you are encouraged to submit those as well.

Families are not required to obtain new assessments for this process. Families currently receiving Autism Funding can use it to cover the cost of accessing a copy of their assessment, or new document(s) if needed, up to a maximum of $300.

The eligibility review process is expected to occur in stages throughout 2026 and early 2027. Families will not hear from the Ministry immediately while reviews are underway. Families are expected to begin receiving notifications regarding eligibility decisions in late 2026 and early 2027.

Eligible children and youth will begin receiving the Disability Benefit on April 1, 2027.

Families can complete the online form and upload documentation through the Ministry’s secure submission portal here.

A downloadable paper-based option is also available here.

The Autism Funding Agreement Signatory with primary care and control, or the legal guardian of the child or youth, should complete the form

We are asking families to gather the documentation that they wish to submit and to complete the form as soon as they are able. This will help to ensure that eligibility can be determined and communicated well in advance of the start of the Disability Benefit on April 1, 2027. To minimize duplicate or overlapping submissions, the form can only be completed once for each child, and families should gather all of the documentation they wish to be considered before submitting the form. The online form will remain open until March 31, 2027. Those completing the form close to this date may experience a gap or delay in service due to processing and review times

Families should resubmit the whole form, including all of the attachments that were originally submitted, as well as the new information that they have identified. However, the Ministry cannot guarantee that late submissions of additional information will be considered, as the file may already have been reviewed—and the Ministry is unable to complete multiple reviews for the same child or youth. Families should therefore aim to submit the completed form only once, when they have gathered all of the relevant information. If they submit more than one form, only the most recent submission will be considered, and it will be reviewed to determine eligibility

The maximum file size for any document is 25 MB. Accepted file formats are .pdf, .doc, .docx, .jpg, .jpeg and .png

If families have questions or need help completing the form, support is available:

• FAQs for parents are available on the Children and Youth with Support Needs website

• Phone support is available through the CYSN Resource Line at: 1-833-882-0024

• In-person support is available through a local CYSN office

  • To locate an office, enter “CYSN” into the “Find a Local Office Near You” search bar at the following link: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/data-monitoring-quality-assurance/find-services-for-children-teens-families.

Should families prefer to use a paper-based form rather than the online form, they can download and print a copy here. Instructions on how to submit the information are included with the form and Ministry staff are available to provide assistance, if needed

If families need help creating a Basic BCeID, they can get assistance from a Service BC office or they can also start the process here https://www.bceid.ca/register/basic/account_details.aspx

If your child or youth is not currently accessing any services, intake for the At Home Program and the Autism Funding Program will remain open from March 2026 – March 2027.

Your child is already considered eligible for the Disability Benefit, so no assessments or documents are required. The ministry will contact you with details about the transition.

Disability Benefit Welcome Packages will be sent to all AHP families over the summer months. These packages include your funding level, your Disability Benefit Agreement, and information on using funding. If the ministry needs any information from you before sending your package, they’ll reach out directly.

You don’t need to submit assessments or any other documents. The ministry will contact you with details about the transition.

Starting and continuing through the summer months, Disability Benefit Welcome Packages will be sent to all families currently on the AHP. These packages include your funding level, your Disability Benefit Agreement, and guidance on using funding. If the ministry needs any information from you before sending your package, they’ll reach out directly.

If you would like your funding level reconsidered, you may submit additional information once you receive your Welcome Package.

Your AHP and Autism Funding files will close once you return your signed Disability Benefit Agreement, and your Disability Benefit file will open. Families who wish to continue accessing AHP and Autism Funding until they end in March 2027 may wait to submit their Agreement in early 2027, with onboarding to the Disability Benefit beginning April 1, 2027.

Yes, all children who currently receive SAET through the At Home Program are eligible for the Disability Benefit. Families will receive clear information and support throughout this transition to ensure continuity of services. Ministry staff will contact eligible families to discuss their child’s transition to the Disability Benefit.

New and Continuing Investments:

Total investment: approximately $1.76 billion over three years to support children and youth with support needs. This includes:

• $475 million in new investment

  • To implement the new CYSN model

• $289 million in redirected direct-support funding:

  • In 2027/28, funding currently supporting the Autism Funding Program will transition into the redesigned system. This and other adjustments of existing funding add up to approximately $289 million over the three years

• Approximately $1.01 billion in continuing CYSN investments, including:

  • Approximately $109 million annually in community-based CYSN services, early intervention, and related disability programming (approximately $327 million over three years);

  • Approximately $132 million annually in Supported Child Development and Aboriginal Supported Child Development (approximately $396 million over three years), supporting approximately 14,400 children annually; and

  • Approximately $91 million annually in respite and family supports (approximately $273 million over three years).

Direct Funding will not Decrease. Direct funding support will exceed the current autism direct funding levels under the new approach:

• Current direct funding: approximately $187 million annually, will transition to future model

• New Disability Benefit and Disability Supplement: approximately $316 million annually by 2028/29

Beyond Direct Funding:

In addition to increased direct funding, government is:

• Investing $80 million over three years to expand community-based services; and

• Continuing annual investments in:

  • Community services,

  • Supported Child Development

  • Respite, and related supports.

Approximately 80% of families currently receiving Ministry services are expected to qualify for the Disability Benefit and/or Supplement.

• 46% are expected to qualify for the maximum Benefit amount.

• 74% have net income under the $100,000 threshold and therefore are expected to be eligible for a Disability Supplement of $4,500/year or more.

• All families will have access to high quality, free support through expanded community-based programs, which will be significantly through an $80 million investment over the next three years.

We know that different Autism figures are being referenced publicly. These numbers reflect different groups, as more than 10,000 children known to the ministry are not currently participating in direct funding:

• Approximately 27,079 children received Autism Funding reimbursements last year. This reflects children and youth actively invoicing and drawing down entitlement.

• Approximately 39,000 children with autism currently have an open case with the Autism Funding program. This larger number includes children who:

  • registered but never invoiced;

  • stopped accessing funding;

  • remained registered but inactive; or

  • did not receive reimbursement during the reporting year.

The Disability Benefit funding must be used for disaibility-related supports that improve a child’s functioning and daily life. Eligible expenses may include:

• Respite

• Pediatric therapies

• Family counselling

• Genetic testing,

• Sensory clothing,

• Certain medical travel expenses,

Other supports that meet the child’s needs.

Yes. Many medical professionals can complete the DTC form, and sometimes there will be a fee.

• Families currently receiving Autism Funding may use their Travel, Training and Equipment budget to help cover the cost of getting the DTC medical form completed. This applies only to fees from eligible medical practitioners for completing and submitting Form T2201, and cannot be used for fees from third-party consultants or organizations that help with DTC applications.

• Up to $300 could be reimbursed, with a submitted receipt, against the cost of the DTC form completion. A Justification for Equipment (JFE) form is not required. For questions about the DTC, you can contact the CRA.

The redesigned Disability Benefit is intended for children and youth with the highest and most ongoing support needs, including those who may require lifelong caregiving or supervised living.

However, the Disability Benefit is only one part of the broader support system. Children and youth may also access other funding and services, including the new BC Children and Youth Disability Supplement, and expanded community-based services – behaviour and mental health supports, therapy and interventions services and other community-based programs.

We recognize that some families may feel concerned about moving away from diagnosis-based eligibility. The goal is to better align support with a child’s functional needs and the level of assistance they require not to reduce recognition of any diagnosis.

Research shows that children and youth with greater functional limitations and more intensive support needs generally require more intensive services, greater caregiver support, longer-term interventions, and increased coordination across systems. Factors commonly associated with higher support needs include:

• profound communication limitations;

• significant cognitive or adaptive functioning challenges;

• persistent safety or behavioural risks, including severe aggression, self-injury, elopement, or crisis-level dysregulation; and

• significant medical or co-occurring mental health complexity creating ongoing functional impairment or safety risk.

Documentation Submission:

All families currently receiving Autism Funding will be invited to submit any information they would like considered as part of determining eligibility for the redesigned Disability Benefit.

Families are not required to obtain new assessments to participate in the review process. Existing documentation of any age may be submitted and considered, including psychoeducational assessments, speech and language assessments, medical documentation, school records, behavioural support plans, functional assessments, and other materials that help describe a child or youth’s support needs and day-to-day functioning.

The ministry recognizes concerns regarding the financial and emotional burden that can be associated with obtaining updated assessments. The intent of the review process is not to require families to “start over” or recreate documentation already available. Families will be invited to provide any additional information they believe best reflects their child or youth’s current strengths, needs, functioning, and support requirements.

Eligibility:

As part of the review process, all families are receiving information outlining the types and levels of need associated with eligibility for the Disability Benefit . This information is intended to support transparency and help families understand the factors considered in determining likely long-term intensive and sustained support needs.

Eligibility will consider factors most associated with long-term intensive support needs, including:

• profound communication limitations;

• significant cognitive or adaptive functioning challenges;

• persistent safety or behavioural risks, including severe aggression, self-injury, elopement, or crisis-level dysregulation; and

• significant medical or co-occurring mental health complexity creating ongoing functional impairment or safety risk.

In some cases, needs within a single domain may be significant enough on their own to indicate likely intensive and sustained support requirements over time.

Review Process:

The ministry will first review the documentation submitted by families to identify children and youth who clearly meet the direct-admit criteria. Direct admission is used when eligibility can be determined from the documentation alone, without requiring additional clinical judgment. For example, a child with autism accompanied by significant communication limitations, such as relying on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), may qualify through direct admission.

If a child or youth cannot be directly admitted based on ministry review, their documentation will be referred for review by a clinical team with relevant expertise. This may include neuro-affirming psychologists or other qualified clinicians with experience assessing developmental disability, adaptive functioning, communication, and support needs. These clinical experts are required to follow all the same privacy, confidentiality.

Private providers, clinicians, therapists, behavioural consultants, and community agencies will continue to play an important role in supporting children and youth with support needs under the redesigned model.

We know that many families have longstanding and trusted relationships with private and community-based providers and do not intend to disrupt those relationships. Families receiving direct funding through the Disability Benefit and Disability Supplement will continue to make decisions about the services and supports that best meet the needs of their child or youth, including services delivered by private providers.

The new model is expected to provide more direct funding to families overall than the current Autism Funding Program. By 2028/29, funding through the Disability Benefit and Disability Supplement is projected to exceed current annual Autism Funding spending. The new approach also expands direct supports beyond a single diagnosis-specific program, meaning more families are expected to receive some form of direct financial support.

Government is also investing approximately $80 million over three years to expand community-based services, therapies, family supports, behavioural supports, and navigation services across the province. Existing investments in community-based services, Supported Child Development, respite, and related programs will continue.

The new model will continue to use a mixed network of private providers, community agencies, clinicians, and public services to support children and youth with different levels of need. Private providers are expected to remain an important part of the broader service system supporting families throughout British Columbia.

• No. Private providers will not be required to offer free community-based services.

• Direct funding, which families can choose how to spend, is increasing from $190M to $326M. This expansion means the number of families receiving direct funding is expected to grow from approximately 28,000 to 33,000 families.

• Private providers will therefore remain essential in providing services alongside expanded community programs. Families can choose to continue to pay for private services, and can use Disability Benefit and/or Supplement funding to do so.

• Community-based programming will be significantly expanded through an $80M investment over the next three years. This expansion will be introduced through a careful, phased approach, to expand capacity, support workforce recruitment and retention, and reduce wait times for families.

• The Ministry will build capacity through existing, established and experienced providers (such as child development centers), team-based care, allied health professionals and therapy assistants, structured onboarding and mentoring of recent graduates, and other strategies to service more children while maintaining the quality of services, no matter where families live.