Victoria – In response to the Minister of Children and Family Development’s announcement of an investment of $475 million to support young people with disabilities and their families, the Representative for Children and Youth says she is looking forward to seeing tangible, on the ground improvements for young people and their families.

“My office, along with many others, have been calling for strengthened services and supports for children and youth with disabilities for far too long,” said Representative for Children and Youth Jennifer Charlesworth noting her office has issued 12 reports with recommendations to government since her office was formed in 2007. “Over these years we have not seen nearly enough change and I am hopeful that with this unprecedented investment improvements to the daily lives of some of our most vulnerable young people will be seen and felt.”

Today, government announced new investments over three years that will create a new BC Children and Youth Disability Benefit and BC Children and Youth Disability Supplement. According to government’s announcement today, these programs will reach more children across a broader group of diagnoses and needs and will expand mental health, early intervention and community-based services giving families greater flexibility to use funding in ways that best support their child’s needs.

“I appreciate government’s commitment to a more equitable and inclusive model, simplifying the process to access supplements, expanding the community-based care system, ensuring that there are different pathways to get supports and that securing a specific diagnosis is not the only way to access supports,” said Charlesworth, noting her 2024 report Too Many Left Behind called on government to develop a needs based funding model that would strengthen a full spectrum of services for young people living with disabilities. That report estimated that up to 83,000 young people in the province were not getting the supports they require. The report highlighted acute underfunding, fragmentation and inequities in how services have been delivered.

“I am hopeful that with this announcement today that many of the recommendations we have been making will finally be addressed,” said Charlesworth. “In our oversight role we will be monitoring government’s progress on this new model’s rollout and implementation ensuring both government accountability and the best possible outcomes for young people.”

Charlesworth noted her office’s work will also continue to focus on recommendations made in her landmark report, Don’t Look Away, which called for a full overhaul of the provincial child welfare system in BC and the development of cross-ministerial Child Well-Being Action Strategy and an Action Plan and outcomes measurement framework.

“I am hopeful that the momentum of this announcement will extend across government and collectively, we will commit to the well-being of children and families. After all, children may be just 20 per cent of our population now, but they are 100 per cent of our future.”

Media contact: Sara Darling, 778 679 2588

Read RCY report: Too Many Left Behind

Read RCY report: Don’t Look Away

Read government’s announcement: https://news.gov.bc.ca/