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Key Highlights for QSD Parents & Caregivers From the Oceanside State of the Child & Youth Report 2025
- From Qualicum School District - DPAC
Youth Mental Health
- Only 56% of youth rate their mental health positively.
- 1 in 4 needed support, but only 8% were able to access services.
- 23% considered suicide, and 16% reported self-harm.
Cost of Living & Basic Needs
- 44% of renters face housing unaffordability.
- Local child and youth poverty rates are higher than the BC average.
- 7% of youth skipped meals due to lack of money.
Childcare & Early Years
- Oceanside currently has only one $10aDay childcare centre.
- Families continue to face long waitlists, limited spaces, and staffing shortages.
- 28% of kindergarten children show developmental vulnerabilities.
Substance Use & Stress
- Youth substance use is higher than the BC average.
- 32% used substances because they felt sad, stressed, or overwhelmed.
Belonging & Community
- Many youth feel supported at home but less connected to their wider community.
- Non-binary youth experience the poorest outcomes across almost all areas.
What Families Need
- Better access to youth mental health services.
- More affordable, accessible childcare options.
- Clear, centralized information on local supports.
- Inclusive programs that meet diverse needs, identities, and abilities.
The Ombudsperson is the provincial independent voice for fair and accountable public services in British Columbia. In the 2024-2025 year:
➡️582 of the enquiries and complaints were about children, youth, and vulnerable adults, which includes people with disabilities of all ages. (page 64)
➡️291 were about public education when there were exclusions, fees, or unclear policies.
When people submit their complaints, this helps document what is not working well with our public services, such as education - which has led to an investigation into school exclusions.
In January 2025, the Offfice of the Ombudsperson released an update to their 2022 investigation report titled,
had been fully implemented.
The Offfice of the Ombudsperson found that the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) had implemented three of the four recommendations made to them in the 2022 investigation report, Short-Changed: Ensuring federal benefits paid to the province reach caregivers of children with disabilities.
that found three of the four recommendations made had been fully implemented, resulting in significant improvements for caregivers and their families, including payments of more than $1 million to kinship caregivers. The province has made no progress on the fourth recommendation: to work with the federal government to address inequities in federal legislation that denies some caregivers access to additional benefits meant to support children living with disabilities. We will continue to monitor government’s progress on the remaining recommendation.
The Ombudsperson is the provincial independent voice for fair and accountable public services in British Columbia. In the 2024-2025 year:
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