Background
What is the current situation?
The early years are the most critical period of language acquisition and development. The ministry wants to understand what services are needed, how they should be delivered, and what matters most to families, professionals/service providers and Deaf and hard of hearing community representatives. This engagement reflects Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD)’s commitment to seek input to inform the early years services and service delivery practices for Deaf and hard of hearing children ages 0 to 5 and their families, in B.C.
All children born in B.C. are eligible for the BC Early Hearing Program (BCEHP) through the universal newborn hearing screening program, which is funded through the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).
Children identified with hearing differences are referred to Early Intervention Services by BCEHP and others including family doctors, speech and language pathologists, Child Development Centre, etc.
MCFD funds the Early Intervention Services for Deaf and hard of hearing children and their families in B.C. These services are currently provided through a service agreement between MCFD and BC Family Hearing Resource Society (BCFHRS).
This engagement is specific to the Early Intervention Services—offered by MCFD through BCFHRS, as outlined above—for children (0 to 5 years) with a hearing difference and their families.
Throughout this engagement the terms Early Intervention Services and Early Language Services as well as, Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and children with hearing differences, are used interchangeably.
The types of services may include (but are not limited to):
- Referral/Intake (direct service(s) to connect families to services, including sharing information, and helping families get started)
- Planning (direct service(s) with families to identify goals, priorities, and next steps related to their child’s language development)
- Assessment services (service(s) that measure and document a child’s language acquisition and development. Assessment services inform service planning to ensure children are meeting their unique development milestones.)
- Language services (service(s) that support a child’s development in early language (i.e. spoken and/or signed language) and communication (i.e. turn‑taking, early pre‑linguistic skills) by providing full access to language and communication skills)
- Parent education (learning opportunities for parents and/or guardians to provide the information, skills and strategies for families to support and promote language acquisition and development for their child, at home, and within the community.)
- Groups/immersive language opportunities (service(s) that offer group settings or environments where children and families can experience rich language exposure and interaction with peers and adults)
- Service coordination and navigation (i.e. supporting access to services across the province and facilitating coordination, where possible, with other service providers, including Indigenous services, Family Connection Centres and Children Development Centres.)
- Transition to school age services (service(s) that help children and families prepare for the transition into kindergarten or school aged programs.)
- Others
This engagement is not to revisit past decisions or evaluate current early intervention services.
Data collection is planned for February and early March 2026, with a public summary posted in 2026.
The findings of this engagement will inform the development of early language services contracted though MCFD, for Deaf and hard of hearing children ages 0 to 5 and their families, in B.C.
There are no planned or expected changes to funding, and BC Family Hearing Resource Society will continue to provide services until March 2027.
Why is this engagement needed?
Language is a right
All children have the right to a meaningful and accessible first language.1 Early language access from birth to age five is critical for children to thrive across all areas of development, including social, emotional, cognitive, and academic growth.
The early years (ages 0 to 5) represent a critical period for language acquisition, during which children build the foundational language skills necessary for learning, forming relationships, and navigating everyday life. For Deaf and hard of hearing children, language access requires intentional and planned exposure to signed and/or spoken languages. This approach ensures that children have full access to language(s) from the start and are able to use the language(s) that are the most accessible and effective for them as they grow.
Approach
Providing the best quality services possible for Deaf and hard of hearing children, youth and their families is a top priority for the MCFD. This includes striving to ensure that services are:
- Accessible throughout the province, including rural and remote communities
- Responsive to accessibility needs
- Focused on measurable, outcome-based service delivery
Engagement history
In May 2025, a solicitation process for early language services for Deaf and hard of hearing children ages 0 to 5 highlighted that there are varied perspectives across multiple interest holders on the early years services and service delivery practices for early language services. It became clear that more input was needed to understand the way forward, and the solicitation was cancelled.
In the fall of 2025, MCFD committed to an engagement process to inform the development of early years services and service delivery practices, contracted though MCFD, for Deaf and hard of hearing children ages 0 to 5 and their families, in B.C. This process includes seeking input from parents and/or guardians, representatives of the Deaf and hard of hearing communities, early language and/or early years professionals and service providers, and other interest holders.
Footnotes
- This aligns with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, particularly Article 24 on education in appropriate spoken and signed languages, supported by Articles 7, 21, and 23 regarding children’s rights, communication, and family support.