March 30, 2026
CBC News InvestigationOn the record
Independent reporting confirms the data families have long reported.
Registered
88,175Children registered
Total in the Ontario Autism Program queue
CBC FOI Jan 2026
Funded
20,666Have active funding
Just 23.4% of registered children
CBC FOI Jan 2026
Waiting
67,509Still waiting
Registered. Diagnosed. Un-funded.
CBC FOI Jan 2026
Verified — CBC FOI Jan 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered | 88,175 |
| Have active funding | 20,666 |
| Still waiting | 67,509 |
Attribution: This page summarizes coverage by CBC News published March 30, 2026, by reporters Nicole Brockbank and Angelina King of CBC Toronto's Enterprise Unit. Read the full article on CBC.ca.
CBC News reviewed more than a year of bi-weekly progress reports for the Ontario Autism Program, obtained through a freedom of information request. The documents cover late June 2024 through early January 2026.
21% Registration Surge
The number of children registered jumped 21% since mid-2024 to 88,175 kids as of January 2026. Demand for services continues to outstrip capacity.
Funded Numbers Actually Dipped
In at least six reporting periods, the number of children with active funding agreements decreased — even as hundreds more registered. In one summer 2025 period, 151 children lost funding while 456 new children registered in the same two weeks.
Under 25% Funded — Unchanged
Despite increases to provincial funding, the percentage of registered children receiving core services funding had yet to crack 25% as of the January 7 progress report. Only 20,666 of 88,175 children have active funding agreements.
Deny Soto, a Toronto mother, registered her son Nico in 2022 after his autism diagnosis. Four years later, at age nine, he is still waiting for government funding for core services.
It's just sad, because that was a critical part of his development. We lost any support that we could have gotten during that time.
Alina Cameron, president of the Ontario Autism Coalition, described what the wait means for families. Her daughter Fiona waited five years for funding and has now had access for three years.
The first thing they tell you when your child is diagnosed is that early intervention is key. You wait 5.2 years for access to something that is ongoing and consistent — you missed the entire early developmental window.
It has been an absolute game changer. We saw immediate changes — she started retaining information, and now we're seeing speech development.
CBC News featured End The Wait Ontario as a resource created by founder Spencer Carroll to bring together data and tools for parents navigating the system. Carroll's six-year-old son was diagnosed at 14 months, and the family has been paying privately for services while waiting for government funding.
We're probably approaching about $100,000 out of pocket for private services and we're some of the few lucky, that can afford it.
We need to know where the wait list sits, we need to know how many kids are getting diagnosed with the backlog for these diagnostic centres — we also need to know where the funding is going to. Only through accountability can we see whether or not these funds are being deployed responsibly and know whether they're effective or not.
The article notes that the Ontario government announced $186 million in new funding for the OAP as part of the 2026 budget, bringing annual funding to $965M. The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services stated that the number of kids in core clinical services has tripled under their government.
Government Response (via CBC News)
The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services told CBC News that under their government the number of kids in core clinical services has tripled. The ministry also noted that foundational family services, urgent response services, caregiver mediated early years programs, and the entry to school program are accessible for all registered families.
According to the CBC News article, when CBC asked why there are periods where funded numbers decrease, the ministry's statement did not address the question about funding dips.
Cameron of the Ontario Autism Coalition responded that last year's increase did not move the needle on the core wait list, and called for the province to commit all new funding to families for core clinical services.
Less than a quarter of kids who are registered at any one time have access to that fundamental program — that is very troubling.
Published by CBC News, March 30, 2026, by Nicole Brockbank and Angelina King. CBC Toronto Enterprise Unit. Read the full article on CBC.ca
End The Wait Ontario has tracked OAP registration data using records obtained through Freedom of Information requests filed by the Ontario Autism Coalition (December 2025) and CBC News (January 2026). CBC's findings align with that data: 88,175 registered, under 25% funded, and a growing gap between registrations and service delivery. Our Data Hub provides the full picture with interactive charts and FOI source documents.
Next Day Follow-Up
March 31, 2026 — Spencer Carroll interviewed live on CBC Radio One about his son's wait for autism services. Aired to Ottawa's political and public service audience.
Listen to the interviewThe Trillium — Budget Response
March 27, 2026 — Sneh Duggal
Read coverageThe Trillium — Profile
March 25, 2026 — Sneh Duggal
Read coverageLegal Action
Spencer Carroll's application to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario challenges the OAP waitlist as systemic disability discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
HRTO Case Disclaimer
The legal claims in Carroll v. Ontario (HRTO 2025-62264-I) involve specific individual circumstances and are distinct from the general advocacy positions expressed on this website. This case alleges that wait times during documented critical developmental windows may constitute discrimination under Ontario's Human Rights Code.
Commitment to Accuracy: Our data is verified against official government reports (FAO, MCCSS), peer-reviewed scientific literature, and accessible public records. Last updated: March 24, 2026.
Verified Facts
88,175 — children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
23.4% — Only 20,666 children have active funding agreements () — less than one in four
OAP registrations jumped 21% since mid-2024, with the number of funded children dipping in some periods despite hundreds more registering
$965M — Ontario allocated to the Ontario Autism Program in 2026-27
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism — timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement