Listening to Families: Key Takeaways from the CYSN Engagement Report (2023–2025)
- BCACDI Admin
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Between 2023 and 2024, British Columbia’s Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) undertook an extensive province-wide engagement process. The goal was simple but profound: to listen to the people who live and work within the system and use their insights to co-design a better future for Children and Youth with Support Needs (CYSN).
The resulting report, What We Learned, represents the voices of over 5,000 British Columbians, including parents, caregivers, Indigenous Rights and Titleholders, experts, and practitioners.
What Families Said Is Most Important
Participants were clear about the urgency for change. While experiences varied, several "common recommendations" rose to the top as essential priorities:
A Shift to Health: Many participants advocated for moving CYSN services under the Ministry of Health to better integrate care and reduce the "silo" effect between mental health and disability supports.
Expansion of Direct Funding: Families value the flexibility of programs like Autism Funding and want to see this model expanded to other disabilities based on functional need rather than just a diagnosis.
Ending the Wait for Diagnoses: Addressing long wait times for diagnostic services is a critical priority, as delays often mean children miss out on support during vital developmental windows.
Separation from Child Protection: There is a strong desire to separate CYSN services from the ministry responsible for child protection to build trust and reduce family surveillance.
Core Principles for a New System
The engagement identified several foundational principles that families believe must guide all future service design:
Principle | What It Means for Families |
Family-Centred | Services should look at the well-being of the whole family, recognizing parents as equal partners in care. |
Equity & Inclusion | Support should be available based on a child's functional needs, ensuring those with Down syndrome, FASD, ADHD, and other conditions aren't left behind. |
Cultural Safety | Services must be co-developed with Indigenous communities, addressing the ongoing impacts of colonization and systemic racism. |
Accountability | Government must be transparent about how resources are allocated and use data to track the actual impact of services on families. |
Addressing Regional and Cultural Gaps
The report highlighted significant inequities for those in rural and remote communities, where a shortage of practitioners and the high cost of travel create massive barriers to care. Families in these areas often have to choose between staying on their home territories and moving to urban centers to access basic therapies.
For Indigenous families, the engagement emphasized the need for Indigenous-led services. This means placing the design and control of supports back into the hands of First Nations communities to ensure care is culturally safe and grounded in local traditions.
The Path Forward
This report is not the end of the conversation. The feedback collected is already informing the next phase of system redesign. The Province has committed to working collaboratively to build a hybrid service model that combines the flexibility of individualized funding with the stability of strong, community-based agency supports.
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