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How many children are on the Ontario autism waitlist in 2026?
VerifiedAs 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
Policy Tracker
A factual record of Ontario government autism service commitments compared to documented outcomes. All figures are sourced from public record: FAO reports, Ontario Autism Coalition FOI, and Ontario Budget documents.
Ontario PC Party (Doug Ford, campaign)
Ford PC 2018 campaign platform messaging on ending OAP waitlists
Source: Public record / OPC campaign materials 2018
Waitlist has grown from approximately 23,000 (2019 approximate baseline) to 91,974 registered children as of May 2026 (per Ontario Autism Coalition FOI).
MCCSS / Government of Ontario
OAP reform: income-based funding model announced February 2019
Source: MCCSS announcement Feb 2019 / Hansard Mar 2019
Reversed within three weeks of announcement (March 2019) following large-scale public protests and advocacy. Government committed to a revised, needs-based approach.
MCCSS / Government of Ontario
Childhood Budgets (2019) and interim one-time payments while redesign underway
Source: MCCSS program updates 2019–2021
Historical record: Childhood Budgets provided five thousand to twenty thousand dollars per year (by age, per MCCSS program updates). Private therapy costs were commonly reported at sixty thousand dollars or more per year. OAC and families documented significant out-of-pocket gaps. Waitlist continued to grow.
MCCSS / Government of Ontario
Needs-based OAP framework launched; 100% of children to receive some support
Source: MCCSS announcement 2022 / Ontario Budget 2022
An active funding agreement is not proof of therapy attendance. Foundational Family Services (free workshops, coaching) are universally available. Core Clinical Services, the funded therapy stream, has an active funding agreement for 22.5% of registered children as of May 2026 (per Ontario Autism Coalition FOI). 77.5% (71,263 children) remain without funded Core Clinical Services.
Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (independent oversight)
FAO 2024 review of MCCSS spending plans
Source: Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, 2024 (fao.on.ca)
FAO found that current OAP budget levels are insufficient to clear the waitlist at current growth rates. Ontario Autism Coalition FOI data confirms waitlist grew from approximately 70,176 (FAO 2023-24 baseline) to 91,974 by May 2026, a 31% increase.
Government of Ontario (Ministry of Finance / MCCSS)
$965M OAP allocation, described as largest autism investment in Ontario history
Source: Ontario Budget 2026-27
The $965M allocation represents a significant increase over the prior $571M budget gap year. The FAO (2020) estimated $1.35B was needed at 2018-19 service levels for approximately 40,700 children. With 91,974 children now registered, the actual funding need exceeds the 2020 FAO estimate. Current estimated gap: $385M (FAO 2020 estimate vs. 2026-27 budget).
The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) estimated in 2020 that approximately $1.35 billion per year was needed to serve Ontario's autism population at 2018-19 service levels, when approximately 40,700 children were registered. That estimate predates the current registration level of 91,974.
The 2026-27 Ontario Budget allocates $965M to the OAP. The estimated gap between the FAO 2020 benchmark and the 2026-27 budget is $385M, noting that the actual need, scaled to current registration numbers, exceeds the 2020 FAO estimate.
Sources: FAO 2020 analysis; Ontario Budget 2026-27 (tabled March 26, 2026); CBC FOI of OAP bi-weekly progress reports (Jan 7, 2026). See also: Ontario Auditor General and FAO Reports.
This tracker is re-checked against the latest MCCSS bi-weekly OAP progress reports and Ontario Budget documents on a rolling basis. Figures are updated as new public-record releases become available.
During the 2018 Ontario election campaign, the Ford Progressive Conservative Party used messaging consistent with ending OAP waitlists. In February 2019, the government announced an OAP redesign that introduced income-based funding caps, which was reversed within three weeks after large public protests. The government then committed to developing a needs-based framework, which launched in 2022.
The OAP waitlist has grown substantially. Per Ontario Autism Coalition historical tracking, the approximate 2019 baseline was around 23,000 registered children. As of May 13, 2026, Ontario Autism Coalition FOI data showed that 91,974 children were registered with 71,263 (77.5%) waiting for funded Core Clinical Services. The 31% growth from the most recent FAO baseline (70,176) to the May 2026 figure was documented by Ontario Autism Coalition FOI.
The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) reviewed MCCSS spending plans in 2024 and found that current OAP budget levels are insufficient to address the waitlist at current growth rates. The FAO also projected forward enrollment and registration trends showing the waitlist growing absent significant structural changes. The FAO report is available at fao.on.ca.
Ontario Budget 2026-27 allocated $965M to the OAP, described by the government as the largest autism investment in Ontario history. The FAO (2020) estimated $1.35B was needed at 2018-19 service levels for approximately 40,700 children. With 91,974 children now registered, the actual need exceeds the 2020 FAO estimate. The estimated funding gap is currently $385M (per FAO 2020 estimate vs. 2026-27 budget). Source: Ontario Budget 2026-27; FAO 2020.
At the time of the April 2019 OAP redesign, the approximate OAP registration baseline was around 23,000 children (OAC historical tracking; the government did not publish exact real-time counts in 2019). As of May 13, 2026 (Ontario Autism Coalition FOI of bi-weekly progress reports), 91,974 children were registered with 71,263 waiting for Core Clinical Services. The Ontario Autism Coalition has documented this growth through successive FOI requests.
Policy Reform
The FAO and Auditor General publish independent assessments of provincial program effectiveness.
Evidence on this page
Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.
91,974
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
According to the FAO (2020 report), OAP funding covers less than one-third of estimated need at 2018-19 service levels
$965M
Ontario allocated $965M to the Ontario Autism Program in 2026-27
22.5%
Only 20,711 children have active funding agreements (22.5%), less than one in four