Ministry of Children and Youth Results-based Plan 2014-15

Introduction

Ontario is home to over 2.8 million children. These young people deserve the best opportunities to shape their own lives and to become active and productive members of their communities. They are the key to Ontario’s future success and prosperity.

The Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS) is committed to creating the opportunities that help all children and youth succeed. In 2014-15, the ministry will continue funding, overseeing and delivering programs that are efficient and responsive, and that lead to better outcomes for children and youth.

With innovation and creativity, the ministry will continue to be a champion for the voice of children and youth in government, and as a transformative force in the delivery of responsive and effective service experiences for young people and their families.

Ministry vision

The Ministry of Children and Youth Services envisions an Ontario where all children and youth have the best opportunity to succeed and reach their full potential.

Ministry mission

The Ministry of Children and Youth Services will work with government and community partners to develop and implement policies, programs and a service system that help give children the best possible start in life, prepare youth to become productive adults and make it easier for families to access the services they need at all stages of a child’s development.

Ministry mandate

The ministry works with community partners, other ministries, agencies, and municipalities to fund and/or provide:

• Early identification and intervention services for young children and their families
• Financial support for families through the Ontario Child Benefit, Ontario Child Care Supplement for Working Families and the Children’s Activity Tax Credit
• Intensive Behavioural Intervention services and Applied Behaviour Analysis-based services and supports for children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and respite, residential, rehabilitative and transition supports to children with special needs including autism
• Child and youth mental health services
• Opportunities and supports to facilitate the successful achievement of key youth development outcomes needed for life success, through programs such as summer jobs for youth and youth outreach workers to help at-risk youth
• Protection services and support for children who have been, or are at risk of being abused or neglected
• Facilitating permanency options, including adoption for children who need the stability a new family can provide, and
• A continuum of community and custodial programs for youth in, or at risk of, conflict with the law, aged 12 to 17 at the time of the offence

Key priorities

In 2014-15, the ministry’s key priorities include:

Families can access quality supports and services for their children with specific needs

• Implementation of Moving on Mental Health to support Ontario families in knowing what mental health services are available in their communities and how to access them
• Delivery of a range of services and supports to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and their families, and
• Supporting the delivery of programs and services to help children with special needs and their families, including improvements and enhancements to service delivery

Young people at risk are achieving improved outcomes

• Funding and oversight of mandated services including child protection to help children and youth who have been, or are at risk of being, abused or neglected, grow up in safer, more stable, caring environments
• Working with partners to deliver evidence-informed community and custodial youth justice services and programs, from diversion to reintegration, including special populations (Aboriginal, youth with mental health issues and gender), and
• Implementation of the expansion of Ontario’s Student Nutrition Program so that children in higher- needs communities do not attend school hungry; the creation of a Local Poverty Reduction Fund to support and enhance poverty reduction efforts at a local level; and the implementation of an annual increase of the Ontario Child Benefit rate and the income threshold in keeping with increases in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) beginning in July 2015, which would enhance the incomes of low- to moderate-income families

Children get a healthy start to life

• Supporting the delivery of programs and services that assist parents, infants and young children, and support healthy child development, and
• Integration of early identification and intervention supports and services for parents, infants and young children so they can access them in a more coordinated, timely and efficient way

Communities support young people to succeed

• Implementation of the Ontario Youth Strategy as a common set of priorities for all youth, supported by an indicator framework that provides a picture of overall wellbeing of youth in Ontario, and,
• Developing an Aboriginal Children and Youth Strategy to transform the way service supports for First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban/Aboriginal children and youth are designed and delivered

Young people are successfully transitioning to adulthood

• Continued implementation of Youth Leaving Care supports, and
• Transition planning for youth with special needs entering adulthood

Ministry programs and services

The following programs and services are funded or delivered through the Ministry of Children and Youth Services:

Families can access quality supports and services for their children with specific needs

Child and youth mental health

Mental health services for children and youth are currently delivered through more than 260 child and youth mental health agencies, 17 hospital-based outpatient programs, one directly-operated child and youth mental health centre and on-site clinical supports at six directly-operated youth justice secure custody/detention facilities.

Through Ontario’s Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, the ministry will continue to build a system that delivers what children and youth need, when they need it, as close to home as possible. The goal of the strategy is improving mental health and wellbeing for all Ontarians. The ministry is creating more coordinated, responsive, client-centred mental health and addictions services throughout the province. Over 50,000 Ontario kids and their families are expected to benefit from quicker and easier access to the right mental health supports.

New supports and services across Ontario will continue to focus on three key areas:

• Faster access to high quality services so kids with mental health needs receive the right type of services, at the right time, when they need it
• Identifying kids with mental health needs earlier and getting them the right help sooner to support them to stay in school, graduate and lead fulfilling and productive lives, and
• More services and supports to meet the unique needs of vulnerable kids, Aboriginal children and youth, and those living in remote communities

On October 4, 2013, the government launched Ontario’s youth suicide prevention plan to help communities respond better to young people in crisis.

The plan is a three-year initiative that supports the strategy’s goal of closing critical service gaps for vulnerable children and youth. The plan has the following components: a web-based community mobilization guide; funding supports for community planning; dedicated supports for First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Aboriginal approaches; and annual training and education for those adults that young people naturally confide in. Work will continue on the plan’s Year Two roll out of community funding supports and mobilization forums.

Building on the Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, Moving on Mental Health: A system that makes sense for children and youth, is the next step in transforming the child and youth mental health system.

Moving on Mental Health will transform the experience of children and youth with mental health problems and their families so that, regardless of where they live in Ontario, they will know what mental health services are available in their communities and how to access mental health services and supports that meet their needs.

The Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health will continue its work to improve the quality and effectiveness of child and youth mental health services through the promotion of evidence- based practices and knowledge transfer with front-line service providers.

In 2014-15, the ministry will invest $505.6 million in Child and Youth Mental Health.

Services and supports for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

The ministry provides services through the Autism Intervention Program, including Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) services, family and child supports, and transition supports to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who are diagnosed as having toward the severe end of the autism spectrum.

A range of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)-based Services and Supports will continue to benefit approximately 8,000 children and youth with ASD annually in 2014-15. These services help young people with ASD become more independent and improve their communication, social, emotional and daily living skills.

Training and support will continue to be offered to parents, so they can incorporate strategies into daily activities at home and further develop the skills their kids are learning at school and/or in other programs. This training and support helps parents better address the needs of their children and build their own skills.

In 2014-15, the ministry will also continue to:

• Support the Potential Programme (formerly known as Realize Community Potential), which helps reduce the stress on families by providing supports like parent networking opportunities, training and access to ASD experts and resources
• Provide funding to help children and youth with autism to attend March break programs and summer camps, where kids enjoy making new friends, learning new skills and participating in activities such as swimming, arts and crafts, bowling, skating and music
• Provide funding for the Grant Assistance Program which provides tuition reimbursement to currently employed staff of the Autism Intervention Program and Applied Behaviour Analysis- based Services and Supports for professional development at qualifying academic programs in exchange for continuous employment
• Provide funding for the School Support Program to assist educators in the publicly funded school system to support the learning needs of students with ASD
• Support children leaving the Autism Intervention Program and starting or continuing in a publicly- funded school through Connections for Students
• Fund respite services for families caring for a child with autism, and
• Provide families, through the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM), with the opportunity to request an independent review of decisions about their child’s eligibility for, or discharge from, IBI services provided through the Autism Intervention Program

The ASD Clinical Expert Committee will continue to provide the ministry with expert advice on up-to-date and evidence-based research to help inform policy and program development.

In April 2014, the ministry released a Parent Resource Kit for families with children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The kit provides helpful information, tools and resources following a diagnosis of ASD.

In 2014-15, the ministry will invest $195.6 million in services for children and youth with ASD.

Children’s treatment and rehabilitation services

The ministry will continue to fund Children’s Treatment Centres (CTCs) to provide core rehabilitation services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy to children and youth up to 19 years of age with physical and/or developmental disabilities, chronic illness and/or communication disorders. These include cerebral palsy, brain injuries, developmental and learning disabilities, Down syndrome, spina bifida, ASD and pervasive developmental disorders.

CTCs may also offer a variety of other services and clinics – such as ASD support, preschool speech and language, school health support services, respite and developmental programs – depending on local needs and the mix of providers in each community.

Twenty of Ontario’s 21 CTCs are funded by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care because it provides in- patient services.

The ministry will continue to fund respite services for families with children who are medically-fragile, technology-dependent, or who have physical and/or developmental disabilities. Services are provided in the family home or in a setting outside the home, such as a group home.

The 2014 Budget committed an additional $5 million in annual funding for investments in CTCs. This funding will be used to reduce waitlists for core rehabilitation services and improve how families of children and youth with special needs access the services they need, as close to home as possible.

In 2014-15, the ministry will invest $121.9 million in Children’s Treatment and Rehabilitation Services, including respite.

Special needs strategy

Working with the ministries of Community and Social Services, Education and Health and Long-Term Care, the ministry launched a Special Needs Strategy in February 2014 with steps to improve services for children and youth with special needs and their families. This includes:

• Identifying children with special needs earlier and getting them the right help sooner: A new preschool developmental screen will help families, caregivers and child-serving professionals to identify potential risks to a child’s development, such as early signs of autism or learning problems, as early as possible
• Coordinated service planning: A new coordinated service planning process for children and youth with multiple or complex special needs will mean that families will have a trusted partner to help them connect with the right services and supports, without having to tell their stories multiple times
• Making the delivery of supports and services more seamless: Improvements to make services, such as speech-language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, easier to access and seamlessly delivered from birth through the school years

In 2014-15, the ministry will work with partners to begin the realization of the vision.

Complex special needs

Through Complex Special Needs funding, the ministry will continue to fund time-limited specialized supports to children and youth with complex special needs when existing local and regional services and resources are not able to address the immediate health and safety of the children and youth.

Children and youth receiving complex special needs funded supports include those who:

• Require specialized services and supports to participate in daily living activities, on a long-term, continuous and/or intermittent basis (e.g., residential services)
• Have two or more special needs requiring integrated service approaches that cross sectors (e.g., health, education, and social services) with services often being provided at a number of different locations, and
• Have needs associated with a variety of conditions (e.g., physical, intellectual, emotional, and developmental disabilities and chronic, severe and/or terminal illness) including those who are medically fragile and/or technologically dependent

In 2014-15, the ministry will invest $95.0 million for Complex Special Needs.

Young people at risk are achieving improved outcomes

Child protection services

Child protection services help children and youth who have been or are at risk of being abused or neglected grow up in safer, more stable, caring environments. The ministry funds 46 Children’s Aid Societies (CASs), including seven Aboriginal CASs, to perform the following functions: investigate allegations of child abuse, neglect and/or risk of harm; provide protection services to children and prevention/protection services designed to strengthen the ability of families to safely care for their children; provide and supervise alternate living arrangements when children cannot remain safely at home; and facilitate adoptions for Crown wards or other permanent living arrangements for children who are receiving child protection services.

The former Commission to Promote Sustainable Child Welfare submitted its final report to the ministry in September 2012. Based on the commission’s key recommendations and discussions with the sector, the ministry implemented a new funding model and new approach to accountability in 2013-14.

The funding model allocates funds based on a combination of socio-economic and volume-based factors. These factors reflect the relative need for child protection services in each community, the services that CASs provide, and the commitments made to children in care.

The new approach to accountability broadens the focus from compliance and financial management to include measuring and reporting on outcomes for children and youth and organizational capacity. This is being facilitated through the introduction of several mechanisms, including:

• Collection of Performance Indicators (PIs) in all CASs; Public reporting of up to five PIs
• Cyclical reviews to facilitate an assessment of a CASs’s performance and capacity to improve
• Performance management strategy to recognize CASs performance that exceeds expectations and to identify opportunities for improvement where performance does not meet expectations, and
• Accountability Agreements between the ministry and each CASs

In 2014-15, the ministry will continue to support the collection of PIs in all CASs, publicly reporting on up to five PIs, introducing cyclical reviews and the performance management strategy and implementing two- year Accountability Agreements between the ministry and each CASs.

The sector is also working with the Ministry of Government Services and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services to develop a comprehensive program of shared services, including back-office and service delivery functions, to enhance capacity, value for money and service quality of individual CASs and the entire sector.

In 2013-14, the ministry released Formal Customary Care: A Practice Guide to Principles, Processes and Best Practices, a tool for CASs workers to help increase the uptake of Formal Customary Care among First Nations communities. The guide will help CASs workers understand the importance of First Nations children and youth maintaining strong connections to their culture and communities through Formal Customary Care arrangements.

Work will continue on the implementation of the Child Protection Information Network (CPIN) to modernize the province’s child protection system. The new information system will help agencies more easily manage case files and finances, share information with each other, make decisions for the children they serve, and make it possible to track and report on outcomes.

CPIN will help address the shortcomings of the current child welfare data holdings, support the development and implementation of future policy changes and meet the CASs requirements for province- wide comprehensive case management support and financial data systems that will inform the best decisions for the children they serve. The implementation of CPIN will support the achievement of key ministry outcomes, including improved ministry oversight, child welfare sustainability, and enhanced child safety.

CPIN is being deployed in a phased approach. The initial deployment occurred in June 2014.

The ministry will continue working with the child protection sector to develop tools and initiatives to help achieve the goals of prevention, permanency and preparation for life for all children and youth receiving child protection services.

In 2014-15, the ministry will invest $1.6 billion in Child Protection Services.

Child poverty

Ontario’s first poverty reduction strategy, Breaking the Cycle, focused on improving opportunities for children and their families. The strategy, released in December 2008, set a target of reducing child poverty by 25 per cent over five years.

In December 2013, the government released the fifth and final progress report on the first strategy. The report details progress made over the last year and since 2008. Highlights include:

• More than 47,000 children and their families were lifted out of poverty between 2008 and 2011
• Over one million children in 530,000 families are being helped by the Ontario Child Benefit
• Almost 184,000 kids are getting a stronger start in about 2,600 schools through full-day kindergarten
• As of September 2013, over 47,000 children and youth have enrolled in the Healthy Smiles Ontario program (since its launch in October 2010), and
• In the 2012-13 school year, Ontario helped provide nutritious breakfasts, snacks and lunches to more than 695,000 school-age children

The Poverty Reduction Act, 2009 requires the government to develop a new strategy and set a specific poverty reduction target at least every five years. In summer/fall 2013, the Province, under the leadership of the Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion, consulted with stakeholders, including those living in poverty, to assess the first strategy and begin developing Ontario’s second Poverty Reduction Strategy. The second five-year Poverty Reduction Strategy will build on the foundation laid in the first strategy.

In 2014-15 the ministry will implement key components of the Poverty Strategy including the expansion of the Student Nutrition Program, the Local Poverty Fund, and the indexing of the Ontario Child Benefit to CPI starting in July 2015.

Ontario Child Benefit and Ontario Child Benefit Equivalent

The Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) is a non-taxable, income-tested financial benefit that helps with the cost of raising children. In 2014-15, about one million children, up to 17 years old, in 530,000 low- to moderate- income families will receive up to a maximum of $1,310 per child per year, an increase of $100 from 2013-14. The maximum will increase to $1,310 per child per year in July 2014. Beginning July 2015, the OCB will be indexed to inflation in Ontario. To be considered for the benefit, individuals need to file their annual income taxes and register their child for the Canada Child Tax Benefit.

The ministry will also continue to provide funding to CASs equivalent to the maximum OCB for children and youth in the care of Children’s Aid Societies and in Formal Customary Care. This funding helps provide access to recreational, educational, cultural and social opportunities such as tutoring and skills building to these children and youth. Older youth also participate in a savings program to help them prepare for independence and the transition to adulthood. These youth gain access to their savings when they leave care.

In 2014-15, the ministry will invest $1.1 billion in the Ontario Child Benefit and $19.7 million in the Ontario Child Benefit Equivalent.

Youth Justice services

In 2014-15, the ministry will continue to provide evidence-informed community and custodial programs, ranging from diversion to reintegration of youth after detention or custody. Fewer youth continue to come into custody, with the majority of youth receiving service/supervision in the community including diversion, rehabilitation, probation and supports for youth with mental health issues.

Youth who are placed in custody and detention facilities are given the opportunity to participate in educational and rehabilitative programs that help them develop the skills they need to achieve success in the community. Programs include skills development, substance abuse counselling, life skills and anger management. Probation officers will continue to provide case management support to youth who have been sentenced by the courts and will work with youth in detention to enhance the transition to community supports and services.

The ministry will build on its achievements to strengthen the youth justice service system. Priorities include continuous improvement through evidence-informed programs and services; responding to special populations (Aboriginal, mental health, gender); extending probation officer support to youth in detention by providing an individualized community release plan to support a youth’s transition to the community; using a strengths-based approach to probation case management; improving educational outcomes for youth in the youth justice system; developing a multi-year strategy to work with gang-involved youth residing in identified custody facilities; optimizing the use of youth justice facilities; and improving capacity to report on outcomes for youth as a result of service.

In 2014-15, the ministry will invest $353.6 million in Youth Justice services.

Residential services

Children and youth may come into residential care through a court order under the Child and Family Services Act (CFSA), a temporary care agreement, or as a result of being in conflict with the law. Other children and youth may come into residential care as a result of treatment needs associated with developmental and physical challenges, medically-fragile conditions, behavioural difficulties, mental health issues or substance abuse.

Residential services are provided through group homes or foster care settings or youth justice custody/detention facilities. In 2013-14, the ministry funded approximately 3,600 beds in 484 group homes, approximately 12,000 beds in more than 7,800 foster homes, and capacity for approximately 960 beds in youth justice dedicated residential settings.

Children get a healthy start to life

Healthy Babies Healthy Children

The Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program will continue to support healthy child development by:

• Screening pregnant women, new mothers and their babies
• Offering information on child development and parenting to families with newborns, and
• Providing home visiting intervention to at-risk families

In 2014-15, the ministry will invest $89.6 million in the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program, which includes funding for the Aboriginal Healthy Babies Healthy Children program.

Early years community support

The ministry will continue to support healthy child development through the following programs:

• Infant Hearing Program, which identifies babies born deaf or hard of hearing and provides services to these children and their families to support language and early literacy development
• Blind-Low Vision Program, which provides specialized early intervention and parent education services needed by families of children born blind or with low vision to help them achieve healthy development
• Preschool Speech and Language Program, which identifies children with speech and language delays/disorders as early as possible and provides these children with services to enable them to develop communication and early literacy skills
• Infant Development Program, which provides early intervention services for children up to age five with, or at risk of, developmental delays, and
• Enhanced 18-Month Well-Baby Visit, which provides an opportunity for all children in the province to receive a developmental evaluation and review at 18 months of age completed by the primary health care provider in collaboration with parents

The Student Nutrition Program will continue to help provide nutritious meals and snacks to children and youth – including those in higher-needs communities – to support learning and healthy growth and development. In April 2014, the province announced an investment of $32 million over the next three years as part of the five-year plan to expand and enhance Ontario’s Student Nutrition Program. The increased investment will support an expansion of 340 new programs, enhancements to existing programs and an expansion to on-reserve schools beginning in northern Ontario.

In 2014-15, the ministry will invest $124.5 million in Early Years Community Support.

Communities support young people to succeed

Youth Action Plan

Stepping Up: A Strategic Framework to Help Ontario’s Youth Succeed was released in June 2013. This strategy provides a common vision, guiding principles, themes and outcomes that are important for Ontario’s youth.

The development of Stepping Up was a commitment in the government’s Youth Action Plan, released in August 2012. Stepping Up builds on earlier research from the Review of the Roots of Youth Violence report (2008) and is based on up-to-date research and evidence on youth as outlined in Stepping Stones: A Resource on Youth Development, released in June 2012.

The purpose of Stepping Up is to strengthen the government’s commitment to young people, identify cross- sector priorities, and shape future decision-making. It establishes a framework to help guide, focus and maximize collaborative, cross-governmental actions to support young people. It also invites individuals and groups across the youth-serving sector to work together and provides a resource for those that want to align their work with youth toward common, evidence-based outcomes.

Stepping Up identifies key initiatives to support a positive, asset-based view of Ontario’s youth. In 2013-14 activities and initiatives related to Stepping Up and the Youth Action Plan included:

• Establishing an 18-ministry working group on Youth Opportunities to help connect and integrate programs
• Creating the Premier’s Council on Youth Opportunities (PCYO), the permanent advisory body of youth (ages 16-25) and young professionals, front-line workers and other leaders from the youth- serving sector who provide advice to the Minister of Children and Youth Services and the Premier of Ontario on issues relating to youth, including how to enhance existing youth-oriented programs, policies, strategies and resources, and
• Funding to support Studio Y: Ontario’s Youth Social Impact and Leadership Academy that leverages Ontario’s world-leading, social innovation infrastructure at MaRS to educate and harness youth talent to address the province’s complex social and economic challenges

In 2014-15, the ministry is providing $5 million for the Youth Opportunities Fund program (YOF) for the second year in a row to support grassroots, youth-led and community-based initiatives for at-risk youth in the Greater Toronto Area (Durham, Halton, Peel, Toronto and York). The YOF is delivered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and is guided by Stepping Up: A Strategic Framework to Help Ontario’s Youth Succeed. YOF grants are available in two streams:

• Strategic Collaborations Stream, and
• Grassroots Innovation Stream

The ministry will also continue to work with the PCYO on how to enhance existing youth-oriented programs, policies, strategies and resources, and on any new issues or topics that may emerge. PCYO members will also carry out community engagement activities to infuse a broad range of youth voices into government decision-making.

The ministry will continue to promote Stepping Stones: A Resource on Youth Development with individuals who work with and support youth in their daily lives. It describes the stages of development that a young person goes through and provides tips from young people on how the adults in their lives can help them stay on track.

In 2014-15, a new Youth Research and Evaluation Hub Program will provide research and evaluation resources, tools, supports, and services to Ontario’s youth-serving sector in order to help improve outcomes for youth. By encouraging sound research and evaluation practices throughout the youth-serving sector, organizations will be better positioned to measure their successes, track their progress, and identify opportunities for improvement in both their program design and implementation strategies.

In 2014-15, a new Local Youth Collective Impact (LYCI) program will help support and strengthen local collaboration and collective impact to foster youth wellbeing and improve outcomes for at-risk youth in communities across Ontario.

In 2014-15, the ministry will invest over $12 million in the Youth Action Plan and more than $21 million in the Youth Opportunities Strategy.

Services and supports for aboriginal children and youth

The ministry will continue to support the unique needs of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Aboriginal young people across Ontario in 2014-15. It will continue to fund the Aboriginal Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program, the Aboriginal Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Child Nutrition Program, Aboriginal child protection services and prevention initiatives, the Akwe:go and Wasa-Nabin Urban Aboriginal Programs and community-based programs for Aboriginal youth in conflict with the law.

As the ministry implements Ontario’s Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, it remains committed to providing culturally appropriate mental health services as close to home as possible. Investments in Aboriginal mental health workers, a new Aboriginal training program for mental health workers, and a new Tele-Mental Health Service is helping meet the needs of Aboriginal children and youth.

The ministry continues to engage with First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Aboriginal partners to develop an Aboriginal Children and Youth Strategy that will act as a framework to improve outcomes and opportunities for children and youth by transforming the way in which services are designed and delivered.

Responding to the recommendations from the Commission to Promote Sustainable Child Welfare and the former Aboriginal Advisor, the strategy will focus on building community-driven, integrated and culturally- appropriate supports for Aboriginal children and youth, so that services can better meet their needs. It will identify principles, objectives and distinct actions over the short, medium and longer-term for improving the way child and youth services are delivered to these populations.

The ministry will continue working with a number of Aboriginal service providers seeking designation as Aboriginal Children’s Aid Societies.

Young people are successfully transitioning to adulthood

Youth leaving care

The ministry will continue to work with children's aid societies and community partners to roll out a suite of new supports and resources for youth leaving care, including the new Youth-in-Transition Worker program, Living and Learning Grant (which supports youth to attend postsecondary education and training) and Aftercare Benefits Initiative (which will provide youth with access to prescription drug, dental and extended health benefits).

Transition planning

The ministry has worked collaboratively with the Ministry of Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Education to implement integrated transition planning processes for young people with developmental disabilities. This work is aimed at ensuring that every young person with a developmental disability has a single integrated transition plan. The integrated transition planning process involves parents, service providers, school boards, school authorities and schools to help smooth the transition to work, further education and into the community. Implementation of integrated, tri-sector transition planning began in September 2013.

Capital investments to support program delivery

Investing in infrastructure is critical to helping vulnerable Ontarians and building strong communities. In 2014-15, the ministry will continue helping social service agencies better serve children, youth and their families through new construction or upgrades to existing facilities. Plans will proceed towards constructing new buildings to replace existing children’s treatment centres with sites in Hamilton, Brampton, Mississauga and Oakville.

The ministry will apply strong governance and oversight to ensure the most strategic investment of its resources to support effective program delivery.

Ministry contribution to priorities and results

With its community partners, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services is developing funding and/or tracking outcomes for children and youth to help the ministry determine how programs are working and children, youth and their families are getting the services that they need.

Healthy child development

Preschool Speech and Language identifies children with speech and language disorders as early as possible and provides these children with services to enable them to develop communication and early literacy skills so they are ready to learn when they start school.

The Infant Hearing Program provides newborn hearing screening in hospitals and community settings, audiology assessment and hearing aid selection, monitoring for babies born at risk of early childhood hearing loss and services to support language development in infants and preschool children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The Blind-Low Vision Program provides specialized early intervention and parent education services needed by families of children born blind or with low vision to help them achieve healthy development.

Healthy Babies Healthy Children provides screening for pregnant women, new mothers and their babies, offers information on child development and parenting to families with newborns; and provides home visiting intervention to at-risk families. In 2013, the program screened 110,281 live births to identify risk factors.

The Infant Development Program provides early intervention services for children up to age five with, or at risk of, developmental delays. In 2013-14, the program served 11,753 children and their families.

Performance Measure: Service Data of infants and families served by Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program, Preschool Speech and Language Program, Infant Development Program, Infant Hearing Program, and Blind Low Vision Program^{footnote 1[1]}.

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Children and youth at risk

Child protection services

The ministry is working with Ontario’s 46 Children’s Aid Societies (CASs) to make the child protection system more accountable, flexible and responsive to the needs of children, youth and their families. Changes to the Child and Family Services Act (CFSA) since 2006 have created more permanency options for children and youth in care. These changes make it easier for relatives or community members to provide permanent homes for children and youth. They also allow more children to be adopted, while still maintaining ties to their birth family and to their community.

In 2011, the Building Families and Supporting Youth to be Successful Act was passed. Along with other reforms, this Act amended the CFSA to make it easier for prospective parents to adopt a child, provide permanent homes for more Crown wards and better prepare youth for adulthood. In addition, as of June 15, 2012, eligible families who adopt or take legal custody of a Crown ward who is ten years old or more or of two or more Crown wards who are siblings, will receive subsidies from CASs to help with the cost of caring for their children.

Permanency can be achieved when CASs use other placement options, such as kinship care and formal customary care, to support more effective permanency planning. Kinship care allows the child to receive care and nurturing by a relative, community member, or other adult with whom the child has a significant relationship.

Kinship caregivers are required to meet provincial foster care requirements, including completing a homestudy and participating in a training curriculum designed to help prepare for the responsibility of caring for the child.

Formal customary care is the placement of a child considered to be in need of protection with alternative caregivers pursuant to a First Nation Band Council Resolution and a Formal Customary Care Agreement that has been entered into by a First Nation and a CASs or a CASs designate. The customary care placement must meet licensing standards and is supervised by the CASs. In 2013, the ministry released a practical guide on formal customary care for CASs and First Nations. Formal Customary Care, A Practice Guide to Principles, Processes and Best Practices was developed to increase understanding of this placement option for Aboriginal children and youth in need of protection. In addition, province-wide training was provided to CASs and First Nations to further support understanding and utilization of formal customary care.

Performance Measure: Number of completed adoptions^{footnote 2[2] footnote 3[3]}.

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Performance Measure: Average number of children in formal customary care^{footnote 4[4]}.

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Child and youth mental health

The ministry invested approximately $432 million in 2013-14 towards the provision of mental health services to children and youth in Ontario. Through this funding, the ministry is building on its previous investments in more than 260 agencies which provide child and youth mental health programs and services and 17 hospital-based outpatient programs.

The next step in the transformation of the child and youth mental health system – Moving on Mental Health will transform the experience of children and youth with mental health problems and their families, so that regardless of where they live in Ontario they will know:

• What mental health services are available in their communities, and
• How to access mental health services and supports that meet their needs

By continuing to reduce overlap and delays within the system, the ministry is committed to reducing wait times for children and youth requiring mental health services, while also improving outcomes for those who access these services.

Performance Measure: Percentage of children and youth showing improved functioning at exit from Child and Youth Mental Health services (Calendar Year)^{footnote 5[5]}.

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Performance Measure: Average wait time (number of days) from referral to receipt of "regular ongoing" Child and Youth Mental Health Services (Calendar Year)^{footnote 6[6]}.

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Youth Justice services

The ministry provides evidence-informed programs and services that adhere to the research and evidence of effective interventions to reduce re-offending and address the needs and risks of special populations.

Programs and services specifically target needs associated with re-offending, focus on the strengths of youth, increasing youth academic and/or vocational achievements, and holding youth accountable and recognizing the developmental stages of youth.

Integration of youth justice within the broader children and youth system responds to research about building foundations for healthy child and youth development.

Some examples of activities that support effective programming include:

• Implementation of a Probation Strategy to strengthen the delivery of probation services with activities focused on: rehabilitation and reintegration; reducing each youth’s risk to re-offend; evidence-based case management; and accountability and effectiveness
• Providing a continuum of evidence-informed programs and services that address prevention, diversion, reintegration, rehabilitation for youth in, or at risk of, conflict with the law
• Continuation of the re-offending study, and
• Using research about the effectiveness of positive and professional staff/youth interactions to support a Relationship Custody approach in youth centres and deliver training for staff in custody/detention facilities and probation that supports assessing and using a youth’s strengths as an effective way of working with youth

In 2012-13, the average daily count in Youth Justice was 8,098 (7,566-community/probation caseload, 185 in open custody/detention and 347 in custody/detention).

Performance Measure: Number of youth who re-offend as a percentage of all youths tracked (Fiscal Year).^{footnote 7[7]  footnote 8[8] footnote 9[9] footnote 10[10]}

The re-offending data presented below is based on a 24-month tracking of two cohorts of youth. The cohorts include: youth who completed an open and/or secure custody order of six months or more and youth who completed a probation order. The number of youth in each cohort may fluctuate.

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Youth opportunities strategy

The Youth Opportunities Strategy is delivered by agencies and community partners in more than 30 communities. At-risk youth received summer employment experience through the Jobs for Youth (JFY) Program, the Youth in Policing Initiative (YIPI), and year-round support from the Youth Outreach Worker (YOW) Program. In 2013-14, over 4,600 youth were provided with employment opportunities through JFY and 640 through YIPI. In 2013:

• 4,612 youth were placed in summer jobs with local employers through the Jobs for Youth Summer Employment Program (JFY-SEP)
• 370 placements were funded for the summer program and 270 placements were funded for the after-school program with local police services in the Youth in Policing Initiative (YIPI), and
• Approximately 20,000 hard-to-reach youth were provided advice and were connected to appropriate services through the Youth Outreach Worker Program
• Under the Ontario Youth Action Plan (OYAP):
  • Expansion of the Jobs for Youth program to include 530 new after-school jobs in Toronto, Peel, York and Durham regions was introduced in Fall 2013, and
  • Youth Outreach Workers have increased from 62 to 97 across the province. These new workers are expected to benefit an additional 5,000 youth province-wide

Performance Measure: Summer job and training opportunities for vulnerable youth - Number of Youth Served (Youth In Policing Initiative, Jobs For Youth, and Youth Served by Youth Outreach Workers)^{footnote 11[11]} .

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Specialized services

Autism Spectrum Disorders

In 2013-14, the ministry invested $192 million in services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

The number of children with ASD receiving Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) has increased from 675 in 2004-05 to an estimated 1,460 in 2013-14. The ministry is also responding to calls for transparency and consistency in decisions related to IBI therapy by making improvements to the Autism Intervention Program (AIP). The ministry has established an Independent Review Mechanism to allow families to request an independent review of decisions related to their child’s eligibility or to their child’s discharge from IBI services provided through AIP. The ministry has also established an ASD clinical expert committee that will advise government on emerging research and best clinical practices.

In 2012-13, the ministry invested $25 million in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)-based services and supports to help children and youth with ASD improve behaviour management or emotional regulation, communication, social/interpersonal and daily living skills. In 2013-14, approximately 8,000 children and youth with ASD benefitted annually from these services which began in communities across Ontario.

The ministry provides a range of services and supports to children and youth with ASD. Programs and services include:

• Applied Behaviour Analysis-based services (ABA) and supports provide time-limited skill building services to children and youth with ASD, with relevant parent support
• School Support Program through which ASD consultants provide child-specific consultation, training, resource development, and transition support services for educators to support the learning needs of students with ASD. Consultants also support the Connections for Students Model, and
• Respite services, including ASD Respite, Summer Camps and March Break camps so that families can receive temporary relief while engaging their children in meaningful skill-building activities

The ministry also supports programs for parents of children/youth with ASD, including the Potential Program, which offers one-to-one support for families through parent support networks, training, resource materials and social learning opportunities.

Performance Measure: Autism Intervention Program – Number of children receiving IBI and ABA^{footnote 12[12]}.

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Ontario Child Benefit

The Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) gives low-income families financial support to provide for their children. In July 2007, eligible families received a one-time OCB down payment of up to $250 for each dependent child under age 18 and in July 2008, monthly payments began. In July 2009, the OCB increased the maximum annual payment to $1,100 per child, or almost $92 per child, per month – two years ahead of schedule. As part of the 2012 Budget, the government committed to a staged increase to the maximum annual payment from the current rate of $1,100 to $1,210 per child in 2013 and $1,310 per child in July 2014. As part of the 2014 Budget, starting July 2015, the province proposes to tie future increases to the Ontario Child Benefit to inflation in Ontario to help eligible families keep pace with the rising costs of raising their children.

Organization chart

Ministry of Children and Youth Services Organization Chart, February 2015

• Minister  – Tracy MacCharles
  • Parliamentary Assistant - Granville Anderson
• Deputy Minister - Alexander Bezzina
  • Executive Assistant to the Deputy Minister - Melissa Hogg
  • Director, Communications and Marketing Branch - Wendy Seed
  • Director, Legal Services Branch - Diane Zimnica
  • Chief Information Officer, Children, Youth and Social Services I&IT Cluster - Corbin Kerr
  • ADM, Strategic Policy and Planning - Darryl Sturtevant
    • Director, Child and Youth Development - Esther Levy
    • Director, Strategic Policy and Aboriginal Relationships - Patricia Bishop
    • Director, Strategic Information and Business Intelligence - Anne Premi
    • Director, Youth Strategies - Sean Twyford
    • ADM, Policy Development and Program Design - Aryeh Gitterman
      • Director, Specialized Services and Supports - Jane Cleve
      • Director, Children and Youth at Risk - Marian Mlakar
      • Director, Child Welfare Secretariat - Jennifer Morris
      • Project Director, System Transition Team - Cynthia Abel
    • ADM, Organizational Renewal - Alex Sarchuk
      • Director, Strategy and Organizational Renewal - Maxine Daley
      • Director, Regional Modernization Strategy - Karen Eisler
    • ADM, Youth Justice Services - JoAnn Miller-Reid
      • Director, Operational Support and Program Effectiveness - Trish Moloughney
      • Director, Planning and Program Development - Tamara Stone
      • Director, Divisional Services - Madeleine Davidson
      • Director, Youth Justice Direct Operated Facilities - John Scarfo
      • Director, Business Continuity - Kim Gallow
      • Director, Special Projects - Angela James
    • ADM, Service Delivery - Rachel Kampus
      • Director, Client Services Sally Johnson
      • Director, Resource Management - Harrison Moon
      • Director, Children’s Facilities - Anne Stark
      • Director, Child Welfare Operations - Sandy Palinski
    • Executive Lead, Child Protection Information Network Project, Alex Sarchuk
      • Project Director, Kevin Byrnes
    • ADM, Business Planning and Corporate Services Nadia Cornacchia
      • Director, Financial Planning and Business Management - Blair Dunker
      • Director, Strategic Business Unit - Frank Caccia
      • Director, Community Services Audit Services - Gord Nowlan
      • Director, Capital Planning and Delivery - Tony Paniccia (A)
      • Director, Corporate Services - Michelle Gitten

Regional Directors: Wendy Nelson, David Remington, June Kelloway-Tarrant, Kevin Pal and Arlene Berday. Regional Directors report jointly to ADMs in Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) and MCYS

Cost sharing with the federal government

Independent of block funding received by the province under the Canada Social Transfer (CST), the province receives federal funding under the following cost-sharing agreements:

• Indian Welfare Services Agreement
• Memorandum of Agreement and Supplementary Agreement Respecting Federal Contributions to Youth Justice Services and Programs

For the 2014-15 fiscal year, federal contributions are estimated at:

Statutes administered by the ministry

• British Home Child Day Act, 2011, S.O. 2011, c.14
• Child and Family Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.11
  (Except for sections 162 – 165 inclusive and section 176.1, sections 96 and 207 and clauses 217(1) (k) and 222(k)
• Children and Youth in Care Day Act, 2014, S.O. 2014, c.2
• Day Nurseries Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. D.2
  (Note: Responsibility for administration of this Act is shared between MCYS and MEDU)
• Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7
  (In so far as it relates to the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program as described in guidelines published under section 7)
• Intercountry Adoption Act, 1998, S.O. 1998, c. 29
• Ministry of Community and Social Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.20
  (In so far as it relates to activities and programs respecting children and youth services, subject to the sharing with the Minister of Education of responsibility for the administration of the Act as it relates to child care services and programs, and except for sections 11.1 and 12 in so far as those sections relate to Long-Term Care Programs and Services)
• Ontario Child Benefit Equivalent Act, 2009, S.O. 2009, c.18, Schedule 19
• Poverty Reduction Act, 2009, S.O. 2009, c.10
• Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth Act, 2007, S.O. 2007, c. 9

Ministry Financial Information

Table 1: Ministry Planned Expenditures 2014-15

Table 2: Combined operating and capital summary by vote

Operating

Operating assets

Capital

Capital assets

Ministry total operating and capital including consolidation and other adjustments (not including assets)

Appendix I: Annual Report 2013-14

Families can access quality supports and services for their children with specific needs

Child and youth mental health

Mental health services for children and youth are currently delivered through more than 260 child and youth mental health agencies, 17 hospital-based outpatient programs, one directly-operated child and youth mental health centre and on-site clinical supports at six directly-operated youth justice secure custody/detention facilities.

Through Ontario’s Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, the ministry and its partners continued to build a system that delivers what children and youth need, when they need it, as close to home as possible. The Strategy is strengthening services for children and youth, creating a more integrated and responsive system, and building awareness and capacity within the education system to support students and their families. Over 50,000 Ontario kids and their families are expected to benefit from quicker and easier access to the right mental health supports.

New supports and services across Ontario continued to focus on three key areas:

• Faster access to high quality services so kids with mental health needs receive the right type of services, at the right time, when they need it
• Identifying kids with mental health needs earlier and getting them the right help sooner to support them to stay in school, graduate and lead fulfilling and productive lives, and
• More services and supports to meet the unique needs of vulnerable kids, Aboriginal children and youth, and those living in remote communities

Children and their families were able to access mental health services closer to their home due to more than 770 new mental health workers in schools, courts and communities. More than 80 new mental health and addictions workers are helping almost 4,000 Aboriginal children and youth get better access to culturally appropriate services.

Over 800 additional psychiatric consults benefitted children and youth living in rural, remote and underserved communities. All publicly funded mental health professionals are now able to refer young people to the new Tele-Mental Health Services.

As part of the Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, Ontario’s youth suicide prevention plan is helping communities to respond better to young people in crisis. Through the plan, the ministry has:

• Provided funding to communities across the province to strengthen their local youth suicide prevention efforts. Organized annual community mobilization forums to bring together professionals working with young people at risk or in crisis - in Ottawa, Toronto, London, Sudbury and Thunder Bay - to support continued cross sector mobilization on youth suicide prevention
• Partnered with the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health to develop a web-based guide and coaching supports to help communities mobilize their youth suicide prevention efforts, and
• Provided additional targeted supports to First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Aboriginal partners to develop culturally-appropriate, community-driven solutions to youth suicide prevention

Building on the Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, ‘Moving on Mental Health – a system that makes sense for children and youth’ is the next step in transforming the child and youth mental health system. Moving on Mental Health will transform the experience of children and youth with mental health problems and their families so that regardless of where they live in Ontario they will know what mental health services are available in their communities and how to access services and supports that meet their needs.

The Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health continued its work to improve the quality and effectiveness of child and youth mental health services by promoting evidence-based practices and knowledge transfer to front-line service providers.

Services and supports for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (asd)

A range of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)-based services continued to benefit approximately 8,010 children and youth with ASD in 2013-14. These services help young people with ASD become more independent, develop communication, social, behaviour management and daily living skills, and cope better in school.

The ministry re-invested $5 million to provide more children with Intensive Behavioural Intervention. This past year 1,460 children were served in the program.

Training and support continued to be offered to parents so they can incorporate strategies into daily activities at home and further develop the skills their children are learning at school and/or in a program delivered by an autism service provider. This training and support helps parents better address the needs of their children and build their own skills.

In 2013-14, the ministry continued to:

• Support the Potential Program (formerly known as Realize Community Potential), which helps reduce the stress on families by providing supports like parent networking opportunities, training and access to ASD experts and resources
• Provide funding to help children and youth with ASD attend March break programs and summer camps, where children enjoy making new friends, learning new skills and participating in activities such as swimming, arts and crafts, bowling, skating and music
• Fund respite services for families caring for a child with ASD, and
• Work with the Ministry of Education to help children leaving the Autism Intervention Program and starting or continuing in a publicly-funded school through the Connections for Students collaborative service delivery model. This model provides multi-disciplinary transition teams for children in all 72 school boards across the province

The ASD Clinical Expert Committee continued to provide the ministry with expert advice on up-to-date and evidence-based research to help inform policy and program development. In addition, the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) continued to allow families to request an independent review of decisions about their child’s eligibility for, or discharge from, IBI services provided through the Autism Intervention Program. This enhances consistency, transparency and fairness in clinical decision-making. The IRM applies to all MCYS-funded IBI service providers in the province.

The ministry also re-launched the Grant Assistance Program (GAP). This program offers tuition reimbursement for qualifying academic programs in exchange for continuous employment to currently employed staff of the Autism Intervention Program and Applied Behaviour Analysis-based services and supports.

Children’s treatment and rehabilitation services

The ministry continues to fund Children’s Treatment Centres (CTCs) to provide core rehabilitation services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, to children and youth up to 19 years of age with physical and/or developmental disabilities, chronic illness and/or communication disorders.

CTCs may also offer a variety of other services and clinics – such as ASD supports, preschool speech and language therapy, school health support services, respite and developmental programs – depending on local needs and the mix of providers in each community.

Twenty of Ontario’s 21 CTCs are funded by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care because it provides in- patient services.

In 2013-14 the ministry increased annual funding to children’s treatment centres by $5 million to support a pilot program to help young children across the province transition into school, and to expand the family- centred Children’s Rehabilitation Information System to five CTCs in northern Ontario. Up to 1,300 children and youth received improved access to rehabilitative services such as physical, occupational and speech therapy.

The ministry continued funding respite services for families with children who are medically-fragile, technologically dependent or who have physical and/or developmental disabilities. Services are provided in the family home or in a setting outside the home, such as a group home.

Complex special needs

Through Complex Special Needs funding, the ministry continued to fund time-limited specialized supports to children and youth with complex and/or multiple needs when existing local and regional services and resources are not able to address the immediate health and safety of the child.

Children and youth receiving Complex Special Needs-funded supports include those who:

• Require specialized services and supports to participate in daily living activities, on a long-term, continuous and/or intermittent basis (e.g., residential services)
• Have two or more special needs requiring integrated service approaches that cross sectors (e.g., health, education, and social services) with services often being provided at a number of different locations, and
• Have needs associated with a variety of conditions (e.g., physical, intellectual, emotional, and developmental disabilities and chronic, severe and/or terminal illness) including those who are medically fragile and/or technologically dependent

Young people at-risk are achieving improved outcomes

Child protection services

Child protection services help children and youth who have been, or are at risk of being, abused or neglected, grow up in safer, more stable, caring environments.

The ministry funds 46 Children’s Aid Societies (CASs), including seven Aboriginal CASs to perform the following functions: investigate allegations of child abuse, neglect and/or risk of harm; provide protection services to children and prevention/protection services designed to strengthen the ability of families to safely care for their children; provide and supervise alternate living arrangements when children cannot remain safely at home; and facilitate adoptions for Crown wards or other permanent living arrangements for children who are receiving child protection services.

In 2013-14, the ministry took action on a number of key recommendations made by the former Commission to Promote Sustainable Child Welfare, including:

• Implementing a new funding model for child welfare that takes into account the recommendations of the Commission in the development of an alternative approach to funding child welfare
• Beginning the implementation of a new approach to accountability for the child welfare sector by establishing 28 new performance indicators
• Supporting a sector-led initiative to develop and implement a program of shared services for the sector, including back-office and service delivery functions, and
• Exploring the feasibility of amalgamating additional CASs

The ministry released ‘Formal Customary Care: A Practice Guide to Principles, Processes and Best Practices’, a tool for CAS workers to help increase the uptake of customary care among First Nations communities. The guide helps CAS workers understand the importance of First Nations children and youth maintaining strong connections to their culture and communities through formal customary care arrangements.

Work continued on the development of the Child Protection Information Network (CPIN) to modernize the province’s child protection system. The new information system will help agencies more easily manage case files and finances, share information with each other, make decisions for the children they serve, and make it possible to track and report on outcomes.

To help more children and youth find permanent homes, the ministry continued implementing a policy directive that enables CASs to provide subsidies for eligible parents who adopt or take legal custody of Crown wards who are 10 years and older, or who are siblings. CASs provided subsidies of $950 per month, per child, or $11,400 per year, per child, to families with a net annual income of up to $85,000. The new funding is in addition to existing subsidies that most CASs already provide to some adoptive families. The ministry continued working with a number of Aboriginal service providers seeking designation as Aboriginal Children’s Aid Societies.

Child poverty

In December 2013, the government released the fifth and final progress report on the Poverty Reduction Strategy. The report details progress made over the last year and since 2008. Highlights include:

• More than 47,000 children and their families have been lifted out of poverty between 2008 and 2011
• Over one million children in 530,000 families are being helped by the Ontario Child Benefit
• Approximately 184,000 students in about 2,600 schools benefitted from full-day kindergarten
• In the 2012-13 school year, more than 695,000 students received nutritious snacks and meals to support learning and success in school through Ontario’s Student Nutrition Program, and
• As of September 2013, over 47,000 children and youth have enrolled in the Healthy Smiles Ontario program

The Poverty Reduction Act, 2009 requires the government to develop a new strategy and set a specific poverty reduction target at least every five years. In summer 2013, almost 2,000 people across the province - including those living in poverty - participated in online or in-person consultations to help shape a new five-year Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Ontario child benefit and Ontario child benefit equivalent

The Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) is an income-tested, non-taxable benefit that helps low-income families provide for their children. In 2013-14, the OCB provided support to more than one million children in 530,000 low-income families. Families received up to a maximum of $1,210 per child under the age of 18. To be considered for the benefit, individuals need to file their annual income taxes and register their child for the Canada Child Tax Benefit.

The ministry also provided funding equivalent to the maximum OCB to children and youth in the care of Children’s Aid Societies and in formal customary care. This funding helps provide supports such as tutoring, skills building and recreational programs to all children and youth in care. Older youth also participate in a savings program to help them prepare for independence and the transition to adulthood. These youth gain access to their savings when they leave care.

Youth Justice Services

The ministry has successfully repositioned youth justice programs and services to create a system that reduces re-offending, contributes to community safety, and prevents youth crime through rehabilitative programming, while holding youth accountable and creating opportunities for youth at risk.

In 2013-14, the ministry continued to provide evidence-informed community and custodial programs, ranging from diversion to reintegration of youth after detention or custody. During the year, fewer youth came into custody, with the majority of youth receiving service/supervision in the community, including diversion, rehabilitation, probation and supports for youth with mental health issues.

Youth who are placed in custody and detention facilities are given the opportunity to participate in education and rehabilitative programs that help them develop the skills they need to achieve success in the community. Programs include skills development, substance abuse counselling, and anger management. Probation officers continued to provide case management support to youth who have been sentenced by the courts and worked with youth in detention to enhance the transition to community supports and services.

The ministry continued to strengthen the youth justice service system. Priorities include continuous improvement through evidence-informed programs and services, responding to special populations (Aboriginal, mental health, gender), using a strengths-based approach to probation case management, improving educational outcomes for youth in the youth justice system, and optimizing the use of youth justice facilities.

Residential services

Children and youth may come into residential care through a court order under the Child and Family Services Act (CFSA), a temporary care agreement, or as a result of being in conflict with the law. Other children may require residential care due to developmental and physical challenges, medically-fragile conditions, behavioural difficulties, psychiatric disorders or substance abuse.

Residential care is provided through group or foster care settings or youth justice custody/detention facilities. As of December 31, 2013, the ministry funded more than 3,600 beds in 484 group homes, approximately 12,000 beds in over 7,800 foster homes, and capacity for approximately 960 beds in youth justice dedicated residential settings.

Children get a healthy start to life

Healthy Babies Healthy Children

The Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) Program continued to screen pregnant women, new mothers and their babies; offer information on child development and parenting to families with newborns; and provide extra support through home visiting interventions to vulnerable families.

Recent changes to the program continued to help vulnerable families. These include an additional 36 public health nurse positions, an enhanced universal screening tool, a streamlined screening process, and new best practice guidelines for the home visit component of the program.

Early years community support

The ministry continued to support healthy child development through the following programs:

• Infant Hearing Program, which identifies babies born deaf or hard of hearing and provides services to these children and their families to support language and early literacy development
• Blind-Low Vision Program, which provides critical early intervention and parent education services needed by families of children born blind or with low vision to help them achieve healthy development
• Preschool Speech and Language Program, which identifies children with speech and language delays/disorders as early as possible and provides these children with services to enable them to develop communication and early literacy skills, and
• Infant Development Program, which provides early intervention services for children up to age five with, or at risk of, developmental delays

To support the development of Best Start Child and Family Centres, the ministry began transferring family support programs to the Ministry of Education (EDU) in 2013-14. These centres offer informal and formal programs and services, such as parenting and nutrition workshops.

The ministry continued to work with the Ministries of Education and Health and Long-Term Care to improve speech and language services for children. Seven demonstration sites continued testing different models to improve access to services as well as improve the quality and value of speech and language services for children from birth to Grade Three. The sites concluded their work in the Summer-Fall 2013 having illustrated the feasibility and desirability of integrating the delivery of children’s rehabilitation services. The lessons learned through the demonstration sites will support local communities as they plan to integrate the delivery of rehabilitation services under the Special Needs Strategy.

The Student Nutrition Program continued to help provide nutritious meals and snacks to children and youth including those in higher-needs communities – to support learning and healthy growth and development. In 2012-13, the Student Nutrition Program helped provide nutritious breakfasts, snacks and lunches to over 695,000 school-age children.

The government established an inter-ministerial working group, chaired by the Minister of Children and Youth Services and the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, to inform government action on implementing the recommendations made by the Healthy Kids Panel.

As part of the Healthy Kids Strategy, in 2013-14, an additional $3 million was invested to the Student Nutrition Program to create more than 200 new breakfast and morning meal programs across two years for approximately 33,000 more children and youth in higher-needs communities. The increased funding also supported the hiring of 14 Food and Logistics Coordinators across the province to build partnerships and generate more efficiency in food purchase, distribution and storage.

Communities support young people to succeed

Youth Action Plan

Stepping Up: A Strategic Framework to Help Ontario’s Youth Succeed was publicly released in June 2013 and is a strategy that provides a common vision, guiding principles, themes and outcomes that are important for Ontario’s youth.

The development of Stepping Up was a commitment in the government’s Youth Action Plan, released in August 2012. Stepping Up builds on earlier research from the Review of the Roots of Youth Violence report (2008) and with up-to-date research and evidence on youth as outlined in Stepping Stones: A Resource on Youth Development, released in June 2012.

The purpose of Stepping Up is to strengthen government’s commitment to young people, identify cross- sector priorities, and shape future decision-making. It establishes a strategic framework to help guide, focus and maximize collaborative, cross-governmental actions to support young people. It also invites individuals and groups across the youth-serving sector to work together and provide a resource for those that want to align their work with youth toward common, evidence-based outcomes.

Stepping Up identifies key initiatives and cross-cutting actions to support a positive asset-based view of Ontario’s youth in the youth-serving sector. In 2013-14 activities and initiatives related to Stepping Up and the Youth Action Plan included:

• Establishing an 18-ministry working group on Youth Opportunities to help connect and integrate programs
• Creating the Premier’s Council on Youth Opportunities, the permanent advisory body of youth and young professionals, front-line workers and other leaders from the youth-serving sector who provide advice to government on issues relating to youth, including how to enhance existing youth-oriented programs, policies, strategies and resources
• Funding to support Studio Y: Ontario’s Youth Social Impact and Leadership Academy that leverages Ontario’s world-leading, social innovation infrastructure at MaRS to educate and harness the talent of youth to address the province’s complex social and economic challenges
• Supporting a private sector jobs and mentoring initiative led by a council of community and business leaders to explore barriers and identify opportunities for disadvantaged young people
• Establishing a new $5 million per year Youth Opportunities Fund that supports community initiatives in priority neighbourhoods
• Expanding the Jobs for Youth Employment program to provide 700 new after-school jobs for youth throughout the school year in Greater Toronto Area priority neighbourhoods. More than 4,600 youth already get full-time summer jobs each summer in disadvantaged communities across Ontario through this program
• Expanding the Youth in Policing initiative to provide 270 new after-school jobs for youth with police services during the school year. This program already provides funding for 370 full-time summer job placements for youth with local police services across the province, and
• Expanding Youth Outreach Worker program by adding 35 new Youth Outreach Workers in communities across Ontario. A total of 97 Youth Outreach Workers now help young people find opportunities, solutions and resources to address their social, behavioural and educational needs

Services and supports for Aboriginal children and youth

The ministry continued to support the unique needs of First Nations (on and off reserve), Métis, and Inuit young people across Ontario in 2012-13. It continued to fund the Aboriginal Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program, the Aboriginal Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Child Nutrition Program, Aboriginal child protection services and prevention initiatives, the Akwe:go and Wasa-Nabin Urban Aboriginal Programs and community-based programs for Aboriginal youth in conflict with the law.

As part of Ontario’s Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, funding was provided to hire more than 80 new Aboriginal mental health and addictions workers across the province to help almost 4,000 Aboriginal children and young people get better access to culturally-appropriate mental health and addiction services. These new workers provide counselling, individual and group therapy, crisis intervention and a range of traditional health services, including traditional teachings and ceremonies. Year-end funding for training needs was made available to Aboriginal agencies that provide child and youth mental health services.

In January 2013, Ontario announced its plans to work with First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Aboriginal partners to develop an Aboriginal Children and Youth Strategy that will act as a framework to improve outcomes and opportunities for children and youth by transforming the way in which services are designed and delivered. Responding to the recommendations from the Commission to Promote Sustainable Child Welfare and the former Aboriginal Advisor, the Strategy will focus on building community-driven, integrated and culturally-appropriate supports for Aboriginal children and youth so that services can better meet their needs. A report back on a proposed Strategy is targeted for Winter/Spring 2015.

The ministry continued working with a number of Aboriginal service providers seeking designation as Aboriginal Children’s Aid Societies.

Young people are successfully transitioning to adulthood

Youth leaving care

The ministry continued to develop initiatives in response to recommendations made in the Youth Leaving Care Working Group report, A Blueprint for Fundamental Change to Ontario's Child Welfare System, released in January 2013.

Monthly financial support for eligible youth leaving care aged 18 to 21 increased from $663/month to $850/month through the Continued Care and Support for Youth Program.

The Living and Learning Grant, launched in August 2013, provides $500 per month to youth leaving care aged 21 to 24 inclusive, enrolled in Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) eligible post-secondary education and training programs. The grant helps students cover their living costs.

Fifty new Youth in Transition workers will help young people ages 16-24 leaving the care of a Children’s Aid Society (CAS) secure local, affordable housing; find education and employment resources to help cover the cost of postsecondary education and training, or to find a job; identify skills training, such as financial literacy courses and meal planning; access health and mental health services; and locate legal services, including advice for youth in conflict with the law.

The new Aftercare Benefits Initiative will also help youth leaving the care of a CAS. Eligible young people ages 21-24 will have access to health and dental services, including prescription drugs, vision care and hearing aids; extended health services, such as physiotherapy, psychotherapy, acupuncture and chiropractic treatment; and additional benefits including therapy and counseling.

Bill 53, An Act to Proclaim Children and Youth in Care Day was unanimously passed in the Ontario Legislature. Designating May 14th as ‘Children and Youth in Care Day’ was one of the recommendations made in My REAL Life Book, an insightful report released on May 14, 2012 by the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth that summarized the Youth Leaving Care Hearings held at Queen’s Park in November 2011.

Transition planning

The ministry continued working with the Ministry of Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Education to implement integrated transition planning processes for young people with developmental disabilities.

This work is aimed at ensuring that every young person with a developmental disability has a single integrated transition plan that identifies the steps they need to take to attain their goals related to work, further education and living in the community. Implementation of integrated, tri-sector transition planning began in September 2013.

Infrastructure

Capital investments to support service delivery

Investing in infrastructure is critical to helping vulnerable Ontarians and building strong communities. In 2013-14, the ministry invested $26.7 million to help social service agencies better serve children, youth and their families through new construction or upgrades to existing facilities. The redevelopment of two new children’s treatment centres with sites in Hamilton, Brampton, Mississauga and Oakville had continued progress in 2013-14.

Ministry interim actual expenditures 2013-14