Budget 2026: Supporting children, youth and families, with work still ahead
The Federation notes that Budget 2026 provides some targeted funding for children, youth and families, particularly for children in care, children and youth with support needs, family support programs and child care. While we are pleased that front-line services continue to receive support, the budget leaves many critical community services unaddressed and introduces heightened administrative oversight that could complicate service delivery.
Key observations from Budget 2026 include:
Children and youth with support needs: funding continues for high-acuity services and direct financial supports to families, reflecting the ongoing complexity of need.
Child care: investments stabilize ChildCareBC and expand child care on school grounds, but inclusive child care for children with additional support needs remains unaddressed.
Children in care and family support: increased funding acknowledges the essential role of community agencies, though it does not resolve long-standing funding, staffing and administrative pressures.
Youth transitions: funding for the Strengthening Abilities and Journeys of Empowerment navigator program may improve support for young adults leaving care, but details on implementation and sustainable service delivery remain unclear.
Child and youth mental health: budget references maintaining alignment of supports across health, education and social services, primarily in schools and community settings, but does not expand direct funding to address systemic gaps.
Sector gaps and ongoing challenges
While Budget 2026 expands funding in targeted areas, significant sector priorities remain unaddressed:
Workforce pressures: wage inequities, wage compression and collective bargaining gaps remain unresolved, threatening recruitment and retention.
Administrative funding and contract structures: current formulas do not reflect the real costs of delivering services, including IT, cybersecurity, insurance and inflationary pressures.
Training and supervision: there is no funding for universal, practice-based supervision or expanded sector training supports.
Housing and SDPR supports: no new investments were announced for housing or specialized programs addressing gender-based violence; additionally, the Community Housing Fund has been paused, this decision adds operational and financial stress to organizations already supporting vulnerable families.
Inclusive services: supports for children with additional needs in child care and education remains insufficient and needs to be prioritized.
The Federation will continue to advocate for sustainable funding, updated contracts and workforce supports, and is committed to working with government on implementation to help ensure services meet the needs of children, youth and families without unintended consequences.
Budget 2026 also reminds us of the human context behind policy decisions. We extend our collective support and solidarity to communities affected by tragedies such as the Tumbler Ridge incident, reinforcing the importance of early intervention, mental health supports and safe, nurturing environments for all children and youth.
Conclusion
Budget 2026 provides some meaningful investments in critical areas and acknowledges the central role of community social service agencies. These targeted funds offer opportunities to improve outcomes for children, youth and families, particularly those with complex needs, children in care and youth transitioning to adulthood.
At the same time, this is not a strong budget overall. Significant gaps in workforce funding, administrative supports, housing, inclusive services and other essential programs mean that agencies face increased stress and strain. Community social services are holding two sides at once. While some programs receive funding, agencies must continue supporting vulnerable children and families even as other critical services are underfunded, paused or cut, including the decision to pause enrolment of new providers into the $10-a-day child care program for one year during a system review.
Prevention and equity must remain at the centre of public policy. When B.C.’s most marginalized children, youth and families do not receive timely supports — whether in housing, mental health, inclusive child care or community-based prevention programs — the impacts are felt across communities and systems. Failing to invest upstream increases pressure downstream, both socially and fiscally.
The success of the investments in this budget will depend on the sector’s capacity to respond to increasing demand and complexity, and on the government’s commitment to sustainable funding, clear implementation plans and meaningful support for agencies and workers.
The Federation will continue to work with members, partners and government to ensure that B.C.’s children, youth and families are supported by a strong, equitable and well-resourced community social services sector, and to help shape implementation in ways that avoid unintended consequences.