UPDATE — MARCH 14, 2026 - new online petition Expand Supports Without Reducing Existing Services

Thank you to everyone who signed and shared this advocacy petition.

An MLA-backed official paper petition has now been launched for submission to the Legislative Assembly. The paper petition will be available for original signatures at signing locations to be announced.

A new online petition supporting the official paper petition is now available at Expand Supports Without Reducing Existing Services. Please sign and share the new online petition to help demonstrate public support. Signatures will be included as an appendix to the MLA-backed petition.

Signatures from this advocacy petition supported the campaign but do not meet the legislative requirements for submission. However, this petition and its signatures will also be included as a supporting appendix alongside the MLA-backed paper petition. With over 15,000 signatures collected, this petition is now closed.

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UPDATE - MARCH 1, 2026

We, the undersigned, wholeheartedly support the new inclusive CYSN funding model that extends supports to all children with all disabilities.

At the same time, we demand no loss of individualized AFU funding for autistic children so every child in need gets the support they require to reach their full potential and best possible outcomes.

*There is an email that has been drafted to all that have signed, but the system keeps showing an error when trying to send. It will still be sent to all once able to do so. If anyone would like to use this petition for any of their own action plans, by all means, please reach out.

ORIGINAL / EXISTING PETITION CREATED FEBRUARY 13, 2026

We, the undersigned residents of British Columbia, urgently call on you to reverse the proposed changes to the Autism Funding Unit (AFU) program. These cuts will have devastating consequences for autistic children and their families across our province.

The proposed changes will:

• Eliminate support for children based on arbitrary "levels" - Many children currently receiving support will lose access entirely because they are deemed "not disabled enough." Families should not have to prove their child is suffering sufficiently to receive help.
• Take away existing support from vulnerable children - Thousands of children who are thriving because of current supports will have those supports ripped away. This will destabilize families, jeopardize children's progress, and create cascading crises in schools, mental health services, and family well-being.
• Impose an outdated, one-dimensional assessment system - The autism community and clinicians have moved away from "levels" because autism is not linear, it's a complex, multidimensional spectrum. A child's support needs cannot be captured by a short assessment and a checklist. Even BC assessors have stopped using levels because they don't reflect the reality of support needs. Why are we moving backwards?
• Force families to navigate fragmented systems alone - Without coordination across health, education, and social services, families are left struggling to piece together support while their children wait.

We demand that the Government of British Columbia:

1. Stop any cuts or changes that remove supports from children currently receiving autism funding.
2. Maintain stable, long-term funding and provide a base level of support for all disabled children.
3. Guarantee timely, publicly funded assessments that lead directly to services and supports.
4. Create coordinated collaboration across health, education, and social service systems so families are not navigating alone.
5. Use transparent, evidence-based decision-making and release clear plans before changes occur.
6. Protect early intervention, ensure equitable access across communities, and commit to genuine inclusion for every child.

These cuts are not just bad policy, they represent a fundamental betrayal of autistic children and disabled people across BC. We will not go backwards.