National Exclusion Tracker launches: Shining a light on school and child care exclusions 

(September 2, 2025 – New Westminster, B.C.)— Every day across Canada, children and youth with disabilities are sent home early, denied enrolment, or segregated without support. The Exclusion Tracker provides families with a means to report these experiences, offering evidence to inform advocacy and drive policy change. 

The Exclusion Tracker was created and managed by the BCEdAccess Society from 2018 to 2025 for documenting incidents of exclusion in BC. Nearly 5,000 incidents of exclusion were reported in BC last year alone.  

Now hosted by the Family Support Institute of BC (FSI), the Tracker is expanding nationally in partnership with Inclusive Education Canada (IEC), ensuring families across Canada can advocate for meaningful inclusion in their schools and communities. For the first time, the Tracker will also report on child care exclusions, highlighting systemic barriers such as denied enrolment, dual waitlists, and inequities in early learning settings. 

“Behind every data point is a child who was denied the right to an education or a space in a child care setting,” said Angela Clancy, Executive Director, Family Support Institute of BC. “Tracking these stories equips families and advocacy groups with the evidence needed to demand accountability and change.” 

The data reveal alarming patterns: over 17% of families responding to the survey report exclusions lasting more than four months, and over 23% say their child is at school but excluded from learning with peers. Indigenous, Black, South Asian, and low-income families are disproportionately affected. 

“Exclusion of children with disabilities is a national crisis, and the Exclusion Tracker is a tool to ensure every child can belong in school,” said Dr. Gordon Porter, Executive Director, Inclusive Education Canada. “Canada has committed, through the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to provide inclusive education for all. The Tracker has proven its effectiveness in BC, and we are supporting its expansion to strengthen inclusive education policies across the country.” 

“With the addition of child care exclusions, we are widening the lens on how families experience systemic barriers,” said Tracy Humphreys, founder of BCEdAccess and the Exclusion Tracker, and Director of Operations at the Family Support Institute of BC. “Early learning is the foundation for successful inclusion and belonging through life. When children are excluded in child care, those patterns are carried into K–12 by families, educators, and systems. By capturing these stories, families and advocates can push for the inclusive systems their children rightfully deserve from the very beginning.” 

The provincial Tracker has been cited by the BC Ombudsperson, as well as by Canadian researchers in the Civil Society Parallel Report for Canada to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities Committee (UN CRPD). Now, the Tracker’s national rollout—and the first childcare exclusion tracker of its kind—makes the hidden reality of systemic exclusion impossible to ignore. 

Families can report incidents of exclusion using the National Exclusion Tracker: https://exclusiontracker.com/

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About Family Support Institute of BC:

The Family Support Institute (FSI) supports families who have family members with disabilities and mental health challenges. FSI is unique in Canada and is the only grass-roots, family-to-family support organization. FSI believes families are the best resource to support one another and the most vital voice for their family members. FSI supports all families with children of all ages, disabilities, and concurrent conditions. FSI’s supports are free to any family.

About Inclusive Education Canada: 

Inclusive Education Canada (IEC) advocates for equitable and inclusive education across Canada, ensuring every student, regardless of ability, has the support and opportunities they need to succeed. 

For media inquiries, please contact:

Angela Clancy
Executive Director
Family Support Institute of BC

604-540-8374 ext 6

Dr. Gordon L. Porter 
Executive Director
Inclusive Education Canada 

506-324-5384 (mobile)