What is this engagement about?
The Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) is seeking input to help inform the services provided through an MCFD service agreement for early language services. These services support language acquisition and language development for children ages 0 to 5 with hearing differences, and their families, in B.C.
Timeline: February to March 2026
Home
Who is this engagement for?
- Parents and/or guardians of Deaf and hard of hearing child(ren) across the province who have received or needed early intervention/early language services, within the last 10 years (note: early intervention services specific to children ages 0 to 5 years with a hearing difference.)
- Early language/early years professionals and service providers that work with children across the spectrum of hearing differences(s) and their families.
- Representatives from Deaf and hard of hearing community
- Other interested parties
How to participate
Family Interviews
Parents and/or guardians of a child(ren) with a hearing difference who have received or needed early intervention/early language services, in B.C. within the last 10 years will be invited to participate in short interviews throughout February 2026.
Invitations for these meetings will be distributed through service providers in early February 2026; space is limited.
Small group meetings
During March 2026, small group meetings will be conducted with two groups:
- Early language/early years professionals and service providers across the spectrum of hearing difference(s).
- Representatives from Deaf and hard of hearing community
Invitations for these meetings will be sent in early February 2026. If you have not received an invitation and would like to participate in this engagement process, we invite you to participate using the survey link below.
Online survey
This survey is for everyone who wants to share input to inform early language services in B.C. but who are not part of an interview or small group meeting, or who want to add more comments in addition to their participation in an interview or meeting.
The survey will be open February 9 and close on March 6, 2026 at 4:00pm.
If text-based response is not accessible to you, you can request support completing the survey by emailing citizenengagement@gov.bc.ca.
Next steps
We will analyze input from this engagement and publish an Engagement Summary Report in 2026. This engagement will inform the development of early years services and service delivery practices, contracted though the MCFD service agreement, for children ages 0 to 5 with hearing differences, and their families, in B.C.
Commitment to Anti-Racism
The Province of B.C. is committed to taking action against racism and to working to ensure this engagement process is anti-racist and safeguards human rights. Disrespectful and racist comments will not be accepted or considered and will be removed from the engagement record. Please ensure comments are constructive and focused for this engagement.
Engagement timeline
Launch of engagement
February 9, 2026
Feedback form opens; family interviews begin.
Small group meetings
Week of March 2–6, 2026
Invitations will confirm dates and times.
Engagement closes
March 6, 2026 at 4:00pm
Online survey closes
Engagement summary report posted
2026