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A guide to the roles of the Financial Accountability Office, Auditor General and Ontario Ombudsman.
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Auditor General of Ontario · Financial Accountability Office of Ontario · Verified 2026-08-10
In brief
Ontario's autism services accountability framework involves several independent bodies. The Financial Accountability Office (FAO) analyzes government spending plans and budgets. The Auditor General conducts value-for-money program audits. The Ontario Ombudsman investigates administrative complaints. Together, these mechanisms provide public oversight of MCCSS and the OAP.
Citizens can access all published reports through each office's public website, and MPPs can commission new FAO analyses on specific programs.
| Body | Role and relevant work | Source |
|---|---|---|
Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) fao-on.org/en | Independent legislative budget officer. Analyzes government spending plans and programs for the Ontario Legislature. MCCSS Spending Plan Review (2024) FAO reviewed MCCSS spending plans in 2024. Read the report for its findings and methodology. | Source: Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, 2024 MCCSS Spending Plan Review |
Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) fao-on.org/en | Independent legislative budget officer. Analyzes government spending plans and programs for the Ontario Legislature. FAO 2020 OAP Analysis FAO estimated $1.35B for about 40,700 children at 2018-19 service levels. The FAO report describes that estimate's scope and methodology. | Source: FAO 2020 analysis; Ontario Budget 2026-27; Ontario Autism Coalition FOI |
Auditor General of Ontario www.auditor.on.ca | Independent officer of the Ontario Legislature. Conducts value-for-money audits of provincial programs. Developmental services audits The Auditor General periodically audits developmental services programs, which include programs operated by MCCSS. For current OAP-specific audit reports, check auditor.on.ca, the Auditor General publishes annual reports with program-specific findings. This page does not fabricate specific Auditor General findings where specific report data is not available. | Source: auditor.on.ca, verify current reports |
Ontario Ombudsman www.ombudsman.on.ca | Independent office investigating complaints about Ontario government ministries and agencies, including MCCSS. OAP complaint investigations Families can submit complaints to the Ontario Ombudsman about MCCSS and OAP administration. The Ombudsman can investigate and publish findings on systemic issues. Check ombudsman.on.ca for any published OAP-related investigation reports. | Source: ombudsman.on.ca, verify current reports |
Ontario Autism Coalition (OAC) FOI Program ontarioautismcoalition.com | The OAC is a not-for-profit advocacy organization. It has used FOI requests to obtain and publish OAP enrollment data. MCCSS FOI via OAC Series (March 2026) The OAC has obtained multiple rounds of OAP bi-weekly progress reports through freedom-of-information requests, documenting waitlist growth over time. CBC News independently obtained 18 months of bi-weekly reports (June 2024 – January 2026). As of May 13, 2026, Ontario Autism Coalition FOI data showed 91,974 registered and 71,263 waiting. | Source: Ontario Autism Coalition FOI; CBC News FOI (Nicole Brockbank & Angelina King, March 30, 2026) |
| Measure | Record | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| FAO 2020 estimate | $1.35B for about 40,700 children at 2018-19 service levels. Source: Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, 2020. | Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, 2020. |
| 2026-27 OAP Budget | $965M, Ontario Budget 2026-27, tabled March 26, 2026. Government describes this as the largest autism investment in Ontario history. | Ontario Budget 2026-27. |
| Estimated gap | $385M (FAO 2020 at 2018-19 levels vs. 2026-27 budget) | FAO 2020 benchmark and Ontario Budget 2026-27. |
| Families receiving Core Clinical Services | 24,417 children (22.5%) have active funding agreements as of May 13, 2026 (Ontario Autism Coalition FOI of OAP bi-weekly progress reports). | Ontario Autism Coalition FOI of OAP bi-weekly progress reports, May 13, 2026. |
Related: see /where-does-the-money-go for a detailed breakdown of OAP funding allocation.
How many children are on the Ontario autism waitlist in 2026?
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 · May 2026 · Open source record
Why are Ontario autism wait times so long?
Ontario's autism program operates on a fixed total OAP budget ($965M for 2026-27, up from $779M in 2025-26, per the 2026 Ontario Budget) regardless of how many children enter the system. Unlike healthcare where treatment follows diagnosis, OAP funds are rationed by registration date rather than medical need. This structural flaw creates perpetual 5+ year backlogs during sensitive developmental periods.
Source: 2026 Ontario Budget; FAO Report 2023-24
This page does not identify a specific Auditor General audit of the Ontario Autism Program. Check the Auditor General’s reports index for published reports.
The FAO publishes analysis of ministry spending plans. Its 2020 Ontario Autism Program estimate is summarized in the evidence block below. See the report links for the full methodology and limits.
Three main sources: (1) Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, fao-on.org, for spending plan reviews and budget analyses. (2) Auditor General of Ontario, auditor.on.ca, for value-for-money program audits. (3) Ontario Ombudsman, ombudsman.on.ca, for administrative complaint investigations. The Ontario Autism Coalition (ontarioautismcoalition.com) also publishes compiled accountability data from FOI requests.
Families can submit a complaint to the Ontario Ombudsman (ombudsman.on.ca) if they believe MCCSS or AccessOAP has acted improperly. MPPs can commission FAO analyses of specific programs, contact your MPP and ask them to request an FAO review of OAP. You can also file a complaint with MCCSS directly; see /answers/how-to-file-complaint-mccss-autism for guidance.
The Ontario Ombudsman has authority to investigate complaints about MCCSS and OAP administration. For current investigation reports or findings on autism services, visit ombudsman.on.ca and search for MCCSS or developmental services. This page does not fabricate specific Ombudsman findings where published report data is not available.
Understand where Ontario autism funding goes and what families receive.
Directly paired with official government filings, FOI releases, and audited datasets.
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
Founder & Autism Advocate
Lived experience: Parent of autistic child navigating OAP system