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The Data, The Deficits, and What Changed
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CBC News FOI reporting · Verified 2026-08-10
In brief
CBC News FOI reporting · Financial Accountability Office of Ontario · The Trillium · Updated
The year 2025 marked a critical breaking point for the Ontario Autism Program (OAP). Armed with new Freedom of Information (FOI) data FOI and independent analyses from the Financial Accountability Office (FAO), the true scope of the provincial waitlist crisis became undeniable. Despite record budget allocations GOV, the gap between government promises and frontline reality widened. Registration growth vastly outpaced clinical enrollment per the FAO Spending Plan Review FAO, leaving tens of thousands of families stranded during their children’s most critical developmental years. Media investigations and parent-led advocacy groups MEDIA published records about program registration and funding.
By December 2025, the waitlist reached a new record, and only one number changed for the better.
Ontario's figures, as of May 2026 (MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026).
Registered
91,974
91,974Children registered
Total registered in the Ontario Autism Program
Funded
20,711
20,711Have active funding
22.5% of registered children
Without active agreement
71,263
71,263Without an active funding agreement
An administrative status; it does not confirm current service delivery.
Figures as of · MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026 · checked
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered | 91,974 |
| Have active funding | 20,711 |
| Without an active funding agreement | 71,263 |
| Date | Event | What was reported | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 2024 | FAO Report Highlights Deep Underfunding | The Financial Accountability Office published its Spending Plan Review, reporting OAP registration had grown from roughly 23,000 children in 2019 to 70,176 by February 2024. It estimated $1.35B annually was needed to meet 2018–19 service levels. | FAO Ontario 2023-24 Spending Plan Review |
| March 2025 | Ontario Budget 2025 Falls Short of FAO Projected Need | The 2025–26 Ontario budget allocated $779 million for the OAP, $571M below the FAO's projected $1.35B annual need. | Ontario Budget 2025 |
| July 2025 | The Trillium Reports OAP Spending Breakdown | The Trillium reported on OAP spending in 2023–24, including $57.9M in AccessOAP operations. | The Trillium FOI Reporting (July 2025) |
| October 2025 | WHO Guidance Contrasted With Ontario Reality | The World Health Organization emphasized timely access to evidence-based psychosocial interventions; WHO's fact sheet does not specify an age cutoff. Ontario's documented multi-year wait for funding was contrasted against WHO's timely-access guidance and clinical benchmarks, drawing widespread advocacy attention. | WHO Autism fact sheet (World Health Organization, updated September 17, 2025) |
| December 2025 – January 2026 | January 2026 FOI Data: 88,175 Children Registered | Ontario Autism Coalition and CBC News obtained bi-weekly OAP progress reports via Freedom of Information requests. The January 7, 2026 report listed 88,175 children registered and 20,666 with active Core Funding Agreements. | CBC News FOI (18 months of bi-weekly OAP progress reports, June 2024 – January 2026); Ontario Autism Coalition FOI (corroborating) |
| December 2025 | AccessOAP Corporate Lobbying Revealed | Federal Lobbying Registry records show AccertaClaim Servicorp Inc. registered for lobbying related to the National Autism Strategy. | Federal Lobbying Registry + End The Wait Ontario investigation |
What are the 2025 autism waitlist statistics?
FOI data (May 2026) shows 91,974 children registered, with 24,417 enrolled in Core Clinical Services and 20,711 with active funding (May 13, 2026). Excludes children awaiting diagnosis.
Source: MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026 · Open source record
How fast is the Ontario autism waitlist growing?
The Ontario autism waitlist has grown by approximately ~300% since 2019. While the government officially registers thousands of new children annually, only a tiny fraction are moved into core clinical services, causing the waitlist to compound year over year.
Source: CBC FOI Jan 2026; FAO Report 2023-24
CBC News reported 88,175 children registered and 20,666 with active Core Funding Agreements on January 7, 2026.
The January 7, 2026 CBC News FOI reported 88,175 children registered and 20,666 with active Core Funding Agreements.
No. The January 7, 2026 CBC News FOI reported 76.6% of registered children did not have an active Core Funding Agreement.
The Trillium reported on OAP spending in 2023–24, including $57.9M in AccessOAP operations.
The Financial Accountability Office estimated $1.35B was needed at 2018–19 service levels. The 2026-27 budget is $965 million.
The waitlist keeps growing. Track the real numbers with verified FOI data.
Sources 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
22.5%
Only 20,711 children have active funding agreements (22.5%), less than one in four
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism. Timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement
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