April 2, 2026 – April marks World Autism Awareness Month, a time to recognize the experiences of individuals living with autism and to reaffirm our collective responsibility to ensure children, youth and families have access to timely, inclusive and responsive supports.
At the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (CAST), we know that children and youth with disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), are often navigating multiple systems at once. Our role as a child welfare agency includes advocacy, coordination and partnership‑building to help families access the services and funding they need to support stability, safety and well‑being.
A key focus of this work is supporting families’ access to the Ontario Autism Program (OAP). Ensuring accurate records, clear information and coordinated referrals help reduce barriers for caregivers already managing complex needs. CAST works to help address inequities that can make navigating systems particularly challenging for families who face systemic barriers, long waitlists and/or fragmented services.
Collaboration is essential to this approach. One important example is our partnership with Surrey Place through our joint Mobile Family Support and Behaviour Stabilization Program. This program provides specialized, in‑home behavioural and family supports for caregivers of children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism and other complex needs. By focusing on early intervention, stabilization and skill‑building, the program helps reduce crisis, strengthen caregiving capacity and support family unity.
We are pleased to share that our partnership and the program recently expanded, allowing more families across Toronto to benefit from timely, coordinated and evidence‑based in‑home supports. This expansion reflects a shared commitment across child welfare and developmental service sectors to reduce service gaps and help meet families where they are at.
Learn more about our partnership here.
