Hon. Charles Sousa May 5Th 2017 Minister of Finance Hepburn Block
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2 Carlton Street, Suite 1306 Toronto, Ontario M5B 1J3 Tel: (416) 595-0006 Fax: (416) 595-0030 E-mail: [email protected] Hon. Charles Sousa May 5th 2017 Minister of Finance alPHa’s members are Hepburn Block the public health units 80 Grosvenor Street, 109th Floor in Ontario. Toronto, ON M7A 2C4 alPHa Sections: Dear Minister Sousa, Boards of Health Section Re. Ontario Budget 2017 & Healthy Babies Healthy Children 100% Funding Council of Ontario On behalf of member Medical Officers of Health, Boards of Health and Affiliate Medical Officers of Health (COMOH) organizations of the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa), I am writing today to reiterate our call for full funding of all program costs related to the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program in context of related Affiliate Organizations: announcements that were included in the 2017 Ontario Budget. Association of Ontario We were very pleased to see that improving care for mothers, babies and Public Health Business children was explicitly included in the significant new investments to strengthen Administrators health care in Ontario over the coming years. Early childhood development is a Association of key determinant of health, and health promotion and protection interventions Public Health during the earliest stages of life yield the greatest benefits later on. Epidemiologists in Ontario We are therefore supportive of the commitments to increasing access to prenatal Association of screening, a new infant hearing screen, enhancing midwifery services and Supervisors of Public Health Inspectors of improving care for children and families. Ontario We are however concerned that your commitment to investing in “new and Health Promotion Ontario existing” programs to improve maternal and child health does not include a specific pledge to strengthen the Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) Ontario Association of program, which our members are required to deliver under the Ontario Public Public Health Dentistry Health Standards. Ontario Association of Public Health Nursing HBHC is a program that our members view as critically important, in that it Leaders represents the earliest possible opportunity to identify children who may be Ontario Society of exposed to a host of social and economic risk factors that are known to have Nutrition Professionals cumulative negative impacts on health and development throughout the lifespan. in Public Health Despite its indisputable value, this program has seen significant erosion since its introduction due to nearly two decades of chronic underfunding and political neglect. We sincerely hope that your 2017 promise to invest in programs to improve maternal and child health will in fact include direction and support to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services to meet its obligations in fully funding the Healthy Babies, Healthy Children program, including all staffing and administrative costs. www.alphaweb.org Providing Leadership in Public Health Management Sincerely, Dr. Valerie Jaeger, President Copy: Hon. Michael Coteau, Minister of Children and Youth Services Hon. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Monique Taylor, NDP Critic, Children and Youth Services Gila Martow, PC Critic, Children, Youth and Families Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health Roselle Martino, Assistant Deputy Minister, Population and Public Health Division. Encl. alPHa RESOLUTION A16-5 TITLE: Healthy Babies Healthy Children 100% Funding WHEREAS the Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) program is a prevention/early intervention initiative designed to ensure that all Ontario families with children (prenatal to age six) who are at risk of physical, cognitive, communicative, and/or psychosocial problems have access to effective, consistent, early intervention services; and WHEREAS the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program is a mandatory program for Boards of Health; and WHEREAS in 1997 the province committed to funding the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program at 100% and the HBHC budget has been flat-lined since 2008; and WHEREAS collective agreement settlements, travel costs, pay increments and accommodation costs have increased the costs of implementing the HBHC program, the management and administration costs of which are already offset by the cost-shared budget for provincially mandated programs; and WHEREAS the HBHC program has made every effort to mitigate the outcome of the funding shortfall, this has becoming increasingly more challenging and will result in reduced services for high-risk families if increased funding is not provided; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) urgently request the Minister of Children and Youth Services to fully fund all program costs related to the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program, including all staffing and administrative costs. .