BELLEVILLE: The Ontario government is investing $240 million over four years to increase access to critical rehabilitation services for children and youth with special needs and help them live happier and healthier lives.
This investment is part of the 2021 Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protecting People’s Health and Our Economy. Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services and Todd Smith, Minister of Energy, and MPP for Bay of Quinte, announced the details of this new investment at the Quinte Children’s Treatment Centre.
As part of this investment, $60 million in new funding will be provided to Children’s Treatment Centres and Preschool Speech and Language programs annually starting this year, to enable more children to have access to services.
“We know early intervention leads to better long-term outcomes for children and youth. By improving access to assessments and early intervention services, children can begin receiving the services they need sooner,” said Minister Fullerton.
This funding will build additional service capacity and reduce wait times in the children’s services sector, enabling providers to serve up to 10,000 more preschool-aged children with speech and language needs and up to 47,000 more children and youth with rehabilitation needs annually.
It will also support equitable access to service by addressing local challenges to recruitment and retention of clinical staff in northern, remote and/or rural communities.
“Increasing access to rehabilitation services will ensure children and youth with special needs in our community have access to supports when they need them,” said Todd Smith, MPP for Bay of Quinte.
Stacey Daub, President and CEO, Quinte Health Care, said: “I want to acknowledge the tremendous provincial leadership in understanding, and investing in, children and youth with special needs. $240 million is an unprecedented investment for this hardworking sector. Our dedicated team at the Quinte Children’s Treatment Centre are remarkably innovative and focused on the children, youth and families they serve..”
• When children in Ontario begin school, almost 30 per cent have at least one developmental vulnerability that could pose a risk to their lifelong health, learning, and behaviour.
• Children’s early intervention and rehabilitation services are provided through Ontario’s Preschool Speech and Language Program, community-based rehabilitation services or the SchoolBased Rehabilitation Services program.
• In 2019-20, more than 53,000 children received services through Ontario’s Preschool Speech and Language Program.
• Children’s Treatment Centres provided School-Based Rehabilitation Services for 71,000 students in publicly-funded schools in 2019-20.