Ontario Budget 2026: What It Means for Autism Families

As of January 2026, **88,175 children are registered with the Ontario Autism Program**. [FOI] However, only **20,666 (23.4%)** have an active Core Funding Agreement. This represents approximately 280% growth in the waitlist since 2019, with over 67,000 children still waiting for essential funding.

Source: CBC FOI Jan 2026, FAO Report 2024

Yes. The Financial Accountability Office (FAO) determined that **$1.35 billion annually** is needed to serve all registered children at 2018-19 service levels. The 2026-27 Ontario Budget allocated **$965 million**, leaving an estimated **$385M+ annual shortfall**. [FAO, Ontario Budget 2026] This gap is the primary driver of the perpetual 88,175+ child waitlist.

Source: Financial Accountability Office of Ontario [FAO]

In 2023-24, Ontario spent $691.2 million on the Ontario Autism Program (OAP), but only $307.3 million (44.5%) reached Core Clinical Services — direct therapy. The intake system AccessOAP, operated by Accerta Services Inc. (affiliated with the Ontario Dental Association), received $57.9 million to administer registrations. That is 55 cents of every dollar not reaching a therapist's office. Source: Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, 2023-24 report.

Source: Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) 2023-24 Report; MCCSS FOI

The 2026 Ontario Budget (tabled March 26, 2026) allocated $965 million to the Ontario Autism Program — a $186 million increase over 2025-26. However, three independent calculations show the real cost to serve all 88,175 registered children is $2.9B–$3.5B. The budget operates at approximately 33 cents on the dollar. At current enrollment rates, 67,509 children remain without funded services.

Source: Ontario Budget 2026; End The Wait Ontario independent cost analysis; FAO methodology