McGuinty Government Brings Services for Children and Youth under One Roof

New Ministry of Children and Youth Services provides real, positive change for Ontario families

TORONTO – The McGuinty government is delivering positive change for Ontario’s young people and their families by bringing together programs for children and youth under a single ministry, the Minister of the new Ministry of Children and Youth Services announced today. 

“The Premier made children and youth issues a top priority in creating the first new ministry in Ontario in 20 years, the new Ministry of Children and Youth Services,” said Dr. Bountrogianni.  “By focusing on positive results for kids from prenatal health through early adulthood we have a unique opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of Ontario’s young people.  The new ministry is complete and now encompasses a wide range of services and supports for children and youth.”

In addition to programs such as child care, children’s mental health and child protection, which were transferred to the new ministry in the fall, responsibility for specific children’s health programs and youth probation and custody services were transferred to the ministry this week. At the same time, the word “Youth” was added to the ministry title to reflect its full breadth.

Since it was created in the fall the ministry has made important new investments in children including $9.7 million for child care and $64 million for child protection services.

“We’re working closely with service providers and parents across the province to help give kids the best start in life, make it easier to access services at all stages of a child’s development, and help youth become productive adults.”

“By helping our children and youth succeed today, we can help ensure Ontario succeeds tomorrow.”

March 19, 2004

The Ministry of Children and Youth Services
The Best Start.  Supporting Youth.  Helping Families.

• The Premier established the Ministry of Children and Youth Services to make it easier for families to find the services to give kids the best start in life, make it easier for families to access the services they need at all stages of a child's development, and help youth become productive adults.
• At the heart of the ministry is the determination to put the best interests of children and youth at the forefront of all government programs. The ministry will provide leadership throughout government and advocate for better results for children and youth.
• The ministry is developing a seamless, integrated system of services to better serve children, youth and their families. The Ministry of Children and Youth Services is an integral part of the McGuinty government's plan for real, positive change.
• The programs that are now included in the ministry are:
  • Healthy Babies, Healthy Children;
  • Infant Hearing;
  • Pre-school Speech and Language program;
  • Speech and Audiology program;
  • Child Care;
  • Ontario Early Years programs;
  • Early Childhood Development initiatives;
  • Services for children with special needs;
  • Children's Treatment Centres;
  • Centre for Excellence in Child and Youth Mental Health;
  • Children's mental health programs (community-based and hospital out-patient);
  • Child Protection (Children's Aid Societies);
  • Office of Child and Family Service Advocacy; and
  • Youth justice services (probation and custody for youth 12 to 17 years of age).

January 7, 2004

Federal, Provincial and Municipal Governments Working Together for Change

Ontario’s Youngest Children to Benefit

On March 13, 2003, the Multilateral Framework on Early Learning and Child Care was released by federal, provincial, and territorial social services ministers.  Over the next five years, $900 million in federal funds will flow to the provinces and territories for regulated early learning and child care programs for children under the age of six.  The federal government also allocated an additional $35 million for aboriginal child care.

The objective of this initiative is to promote early childhood development and support the participation of parents in employment or training by improving access to affordable, quality early learning and child care programs and services.

Investing in Young Children

Social Services Ministers agreed to invest federal funds in regulated early learning and child care programs for children under six, defined as programs that meet quality standards that are established and monitored by provincial/territorial governments.  They agreed to invest in early learning and child care programs that provide direct care and early learning to children in a variety of settings including child care centres, family child care homes, preschools, and nursery schools.  Federal funds could also be used to support capital and operating costs, fee subsidies, wage enhancements, professional development and support, and parent information and referral.

The federal government began to flow funds in November 2003 through the Canada Health and Social Transfer.  Although year one represents a small increase (1.3 per cent), the funds will increase and stabilize over the five-year period, with the majority of federal dollars allocated in the last three years. 

The Ministry of Children’s Services Share of Federal Early Learning and Child Care Funds.

(Source:  Federal Department of Finance, revised October 2003)

March 19, 2004

A Snapshot of Ontario’s Children and Youth

Population – There are approximately 2.9 million children and youth in Ontario, about 25 per cent of the population.  Of  those, 83 per cent live in urban centres and 17 per cent in rural communities.  In 2002, 130,000 children were born in Ontario compared with 138,000 children born in 1998.  The birth rate in aboriginal communities is 1.5 times greater than the national birth rate.

Families – Most children live in two-parent, dual-income families.  One-parent families represent about 15 per cent of Ontario families.  Between 18 and 25 per cent of children live in low income families.  There are approximately 18,000 children in the care of Children’s Aid Societies, and a further 46,000 open protection cases.

Education – Of the 2.1 million children enrolled in school in Ontario, 7.4 per cent of them have identified problems including learning, language and emotional disabilities.  In 2003, 81 per cent of eligible children were enrolled in junior kindergarten and 95 per cent of eligible children in senior kindergarten.

Health – Ontario’s rate of low-birth-weight babies is 5.7 per cent.  Low birth weight is an indicator of several physical, emotional and cognitive disabilities.  About 25 per cent of Canadian children are considered obese.  Higher proportions of children living in low-income families are overweight.  In Canada, 43 per cent of all children with disabilities live in Ontario.

Youth in Custody – There are approximately 22,000 youth under supervision in Ontario.  Approximately 20,000 are on probation and the rest are in open or secure custody.  Many of these youth are also involved in the child welfare system.

February 4, 2004

McGuinty Government Is Committed To Protecting Vulnerable Children

·        The McGuinty government is providing an additional $64.1 million in funding for children's aid societies to help them deal with rising costs. 

·        This year, Ontario's investment in child protection services totals more than $1 billion.

·        In the 12-month period ending March 31, 2004, there will be more than 30,000 children receiving services from children's aid societies, with a breakdown by region as follows: 

Source:  Service Management information System, Ministry of Children's Services

·        Everyone must play a role in protecting and supporting children who are at risk.   The government will work with the child welfare community to create an accountable and sustainable system that will improve the lives of the children who come into the care of children's aid societies.

From Budget Consultation Web Site March 22, 2004

Government Priorities

Based on its election mandate, the government has identified five major priorities and is proposing key results to show that progress is being made on these priorities. This way, the people of Ontario will be able to judge the performance of the government over the next four years by checking progress on these key results. This is a new approach – in the past, governments have focused on the quantity of spending, not on the quality of the results.

The chart below lists the government’s priorities, along with several examples of the key results that could be used to measure success in meeting those priorities.

Note: $ indicates the relative percentage of budget allocation from those consulted to March 19, 2004

Four Possible Approaches to Meeting Government Priorities

We are asking you to think about four possible approaches to meet the Government's priorities while living within our means.