Prince George mother says changes to B.C. Family Residence Program strain families with sick children

Recent provincial changes mean fewer families will qualify for funding when they have to stay in Vancouver for treatment at BC Children's Hospital.

A northern B.C. mother says changes to a provincial program that helps families pay for accommodation while their children receive life‑saving medical care have added financial stress at an already difficult time.

Vanessa Turnbull’s son Maverick was just two years old when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2024.

“It was definitely kind of shocking,” she said.

Turnbull and her son travel from Prince George to Vancouver every three months for treatment, often staying at a Ronald McDonald House or in hotels.

The family relies on the B.C. Family Residence Program, which subsidizes accommodation costs for children receiving care at B.C. Children’s Hospital or Sunny Hill Health Centre.

But changes to the program were a hurdle Turnbull says she did not anticipate.

“Immediately, I was thinking, ‘Oh, how are we going to afford this if we have to come back?’” she said.

The provincial Health Ministry told CTV News it had lowered the income threshold for the program as of April 1, meaning only families earning under $80,000 a year are now eligible. According to Ronald McDonald House, there was previously no income cap.

The changes also limit the number of covered stays from 30 days to 21 days per visit.

Richard Pass, CEO of Ronald McDonald House B.C. and Yukon, says the impact could be significant for families already under extreme stress.

“Families in the most stressful possible time need the support of the province and need support and access to health care,” Pass said. “Organizations (such as) ourselves are able to provide a certain amount of that, but the government is needed to be able to provide that security for those families.”

Turnbull says the changes are already affecting her family financially.

“It definitely impacts my family and others,” she said. “You’re basically sitting here getting in debt over just trying to survive and watching your child try and survive.”

She says while Maverick’s care is her top priority, the financial pressure adds another layer of stress.

“I need to put at least $600 to $1,000 aside for every three months and just kind of future planning of adding that on top of our budget at the same time,” she said.

In a statement to CTV News, the Health Ministry said, in part: “These adjustments are necessary to sustain the delivery of services to as many families as possible.”

“There has been no funding cut to the program,” the ministry added. “We continue to provide base funding for this fiscal year and next year. We are providing incremental funding for the current fiscal year (2025/2026) and an increase in incremental funding for 2026/27.”

The ministry attributes the changes to increasing demand for the service and the rising cost of running it.

“We are unfortunately unable to meet all demands for service and supports for families,” the ministry said.

Ronald McDonald House offers families a place to stay for just $12 a day, but spaces are often limited, leaving many families reliant on the B.C. Family Residence Program.

Pass says his concern goes beyond finances.

“My fear is that appointments will potentially get bumped because … how could you afford to pay and where are they going to go?” he said. “Those kinds of things, I think, are going to start to be really worrisome for the families.”

Turnbull says families should not have to worry about money while caring for a sick child.

“I just think we need to ensure that there is as much service and support for all of these families as needed,” she said.