Current May 2026 snapshot

Waitlist Watch

Source-dated OAP snapshots: how many children are registered, how many have an active funding agreement, and how the reported counts changed over time.

Current Picture

  • As of May 13, 2026: 71,263 registered children had no active OAP funding agreement, 77.5%% of all registered children.
  • Only 20,711 children (22.5%%) held an active Core Funding Agreement in the current snapshot; this is not a service-attendance measure.
Show all 3 facts
  • Historical monthly rows below use their own source dates. The Jan 7–May 13 comparison is derived historical context, not a forecast.
Verified: 2026-08-10
Scope: Ontario, Canada

The numbers

Administrative counts are source-attributed. Historical rows and the May 13, 2026 snapshot are labelled separately; an active agreement does not prove service receipt.

Registered

91,974

Children registered

Total in the Ontario Autism Program queue

MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026

Funded

20,711

Have active funding

Only 22.5% of registered children

MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026

Waiting

71,263

Still waiting

Registered. Diagnosed. Un-funded.

MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026

Verified , MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026

Share these numbers
Ontario Autism Program key statistics (MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026, verified 2026-08-10)
MetricValue
Children registered91,974
Have active funding20,711
Still waiting71,263

Recent Monthly Snapshots

Data derived from OAP bi-weekly progress reports obtained via Freedom of Information request by CBC News. The government does not publish official monthly summaries, figures represent the closest available bi-weekly reading for each month.

Ontario Autism Program monthly snapshots. The latest row is highlighted; the percent funded column is hidden on narrow screens but is restated below the table.
MonthTotal RegisteredWithout Active AgreementActive Funding Agreements
May 2026Latest91,97471,26320,711
March 202689,79969,16620,633
February 202689,33268,45020,882

Historical rows: OAP bi-weekly progress reports obtained via FOI by CBC News (Nicole Brockbank & Angelina King), with the CSS2026-0749 release ending March 4, 2026. The current May 13, 2026 snapshot is a separate OAC July 2026 FOI summary and is not part of the historical row series.

Current snapshot: 20,711 children hold active funding agreements (22.5%%).

Evidence for this snapshot

SOURCE

MCCSS OAP progress-report column for May 13, 2026 (released via OAC FOI)
Government SourceTier 1

Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (Ontario) • May 2026

Current May registration and active-agreement counts are reproduced in the OAC July 2026 FOI summary. The CSS2026-0749 release and CBC series cover earlier columns through March 4, 2026.

Last verified: 2026-08-10

SOURCE

Ontario autism funding: province's own data shows nearly 67,000 kids waiting for services
Government SourceTier 1

CBC News • 2026-03-30 • Nicole Brockbank et al.

CBC obtained 18 months of OAP bi-weekly progress reports via Freedom of Information request. Primary source for all monthly snapshot data.

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Related Resources

Citable source facts(3)Question-and-answer pairs with their source and verification link.

How many children are on the Ontario autism waitlist in 2026?

Verified

As of May 13, 2026, 91,974 children are registered with the Ontario Autism Program. However, only 20,711 (22.5%) have an active Core Funding Agreement. This represents ~300% growth in registrations since 2019, with 71,263 children still waiting for essential funding.

Source: MCCSS FOI via OAC · Mar 2026, FAO Report 2024 · Verify Link

How long do families wait for Ontario autism services?

Verified

Ontario autism wait times for core clinical services now exceed 5+ years (Ontario Autism Coalition, July 2026). Funding invitations are currently reaching families who registered in August 2021 (Ontario Autism Coalition, July 2026 (reported from community intake)). This delay far exceeds the sensitive early intervention window recommended by developmental specialists.

Source: MCCSS FOI via OAC · Mar 2026, FAO Report 2024 · Verify Link

Is the Ontario Autism Program underfunded?

Verified

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. This gap is the primary driver of the perpetual 91,974+ child waitlist.

Source: Financial Accountability Office of Ontario [FAO] · Verify Link

About This Article

Written by

Founder & Autism Advocate

Parent of autistic child navigating OAP system
Last updated:

Evidence on this page

The source chain stays visible.

Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.

Facts5
Sources3

22.5%

Only 20,711 children have active funding agreements (22.5%), less than one in four

Government / peer-reviewedMCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026Verified 2026-08-10

WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism. Timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement

Government / peer-reviewedWorld Health Organization (2023)Verified 2023-11-15

OAP registrations jumped 21% since mid-2024, with the number of funded children dipping in some periods despite hundreds more registering

Secondary sourceNicole Brockbank & Angelina King (2026)Verified 2026-03-30
Last system verification: 2026-08-10. Next scheduled update: 2026-11-05.
View methodologyBrowse every source