Published plans and annual reports 2021-2022: Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

Ministry overview

Ministry’s vision

Working with our community partners, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services funds, designs and delivers programs and services to support Ontarians – at any point in their life, on any given day – to build thriving and resilient communities.

The government’s vision is to build and sustain a connected, person-centred social services system that provides Ontarians with equitable supports that meet their diverse needs in order to stabilize their conditions, help build independence and improve their overall quality of life.

Achieving this vision means creating an inclusive, anti-racist and future-focused organization that sustains and promotes the critical public services that matter most to Ontarians. It also means improving outcomes for children, youth, families and individuals who need support and advancing the interests of women across Ontario.

The ministry values its role in helping people reach their full potential, and building a stronger Ontario. That includes; youth who are in, or at risk of conflict with the law; youth and adults with special needs; children and youth in need of protection services; and Indigenous peoples.

And it includes helping Ontarians in need of financial or other supports, including those living in poverty, women and other vulnerable Ontarians who benefit equality of opportunity.

As we look to the future, the government’s goal is to become and remain a strong, integrated and fiscally responsible organization that continues to put people at the centre of all we do.

COVIDcovid response – support for vulnerable Ontarians

In March 2020, the Government of Ontario announced a $17 billion COVIDcovid Action Plan. This investment includes additional funding to protect the health and safety of those who rely on social services for support and those who are among the province’s most vulnerable populations. This includes:

• Expanded access to emergency assistance for Ontarians in financial crisis needing help paying for food and housing, who are not already on social assistance and do not have access to other supports.
• Creating the Emergency Benefit for Ontarians for those who receive income support from Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program to assist with additional COVIDcovid costs, such as food, cleaning supplies, PPE and non- medical transportation.
• Partially or fully exempting some income types received under Canada’s federal COVIDcovid benefits for existing social assistance recipients, while allowing them to retain access to the health and other benefits they receive through social assistance if the federal benefits would otherwise make them financially ineligible.
• Additional funding for emergency shelters, food banks, charities, non-profits, and emergency services to enable the support of vulnerable populations, including the homeless and low-income families who use social services.
• The incidence of gender-based violence and domestic violence has continued to increase during the pandemic. The COVIDcovid Residential Relief Fund is helping to address increased residential costs experienced by service providers.
• Children’s Aid Societies continue to operate and provide services to children, youth and families. Societies are being encouraged to use technology where possible and appropriate and do wellness check-ins while also observing local public health recommendations.
• Making regulatory and policy amendments to ensure that throughout the COVIDcovid outbreak, youth in care who turn 18 and former youth in care who turn 21 will not age out of the supports and services they are currently receiving through Children’s Aid Societies.
• Supporting and providing flexibility to Children with Special Needs and Autism service providers to implement innovative service models to support the continuity of care for children and families, where appropriate.
• Continuing to provide Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding to all new registrants and providing an additional payment to families in receipt of childhood budgets and interim one-time funding to purchase eligible services and supports.
• Encouraging community-based service providers and district school boards to adopt local solutions to mitigate school-based rehabilitation service disruptions, including addressing barriers to school access by outside regulated professionals where feasible and in accordance with public health guidance, and/or adoption of alternative service models, e.g. virtual and/or in-person service at community/home locations, where appropriate.
• Implementing temporary changes to its family support and respite programs to support families while physically distanced at home and while community- based programs and services are closed, including expanding the list of eligible expenses and removing the deadline to submit invoices for reimbursement.
• New investments to the Student Nutrition Program to adapt service delivery while school settings are closed, to improve access to healthy meals and snacks for school-age children and youth through community alternatives, including distributing grocery gift cards, supporting local food banks, and delivering meals to families with school-age children.
• Provincially operated youth justice facilities following public health recommendations by restricting visitors and enhancing screening. Probation offices and youth justice facilities are using technology to support clients and connect youth and families.
• Developmental services agencies continuing to support people with developmental disabilities during the COVIDcovid outbreak. Residents and staff are provided with guidance and have enhanced testing, surveillance, and personal protection equipment (PPE). Staff have also been given access to emergency childcare and enhanced compensation.
• The Family Responsibility Office (FRO) continuing to help families get the support they are entitled to by collecting, distributing and enforcing child and spousal support payments during the COVIDcovid outbreak.
• Emergency assistance to support First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners and urban Indigenous service providers with COVIDcovid and related emergency- response initiatives that will promote community health and well-being.
• Many Ontario funded settlement agencies offering services remotely, online and by phone to help newcomers and refugees find the services they need to integrate into Ontario.
• A temporary wage enhancement of $3 per hour on top of existing wages for workers who provide direct support services including to children with special needs through MCCSS-funded programs and services, including respite.
• In addition, recognizing the impact of the COVIDcovid outbreak, the Premier’s Council on Equality of Opportunity (PCEO) is working collaboratively with government, communities and young people to provide advice on policies and programs to address the disproportionate impacts of the outbreak on marginalized families and youth.

2021-22 Strategic plan

The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services is following the government’s overall plan to make every dollar count so we can continue to invest in critical programs.

We will work to eliminate duplication so that valuable programs and services are sustainable and working for the people of Ontario. We will continue to look for opportunities to modernize services, reduce red tape, and streamline to serve Ontarians more effectively.

The ministry is also integrating human service programs, streamlining administration, simplifying reporting requirements to help people in Ontario find employment and build independence. We are updating transfer payment processes, aligning and integrating service contracts, embracing technology and transforming programs to serve clients better.

The ministry is working with partners across many sectors to transform and strengthen community and developmental services, child welfare, special needs and early intervention.

Social assistance recovery and renewal

The ministry’s vision for social assistance transformation is focused on creating an effective, efficient and streamlined social services system that focuses on people, by providing them with a range of services and supports to respond to their unique needs, and to address barriers to success so they can move towards employment and independence, as well as help the economy recover from the COVIDcovid crisis.

At the core of this plan is a new delivery model for social assistance that looks at provincial and municipal roles - not along the traditional program lines of Ontario Works and ODSP, but around who can best provide the service to get the best results.

The Province intends to focus on overseeing financial assistance, making it quick and easy for people to access the system while ensuring program integrity.

At the same time, municipal partners would use their expertise in delivering person- centred casework and knowledge of local community supports to provide activities that support people on a pathway to greater independence and employment.

Recognizing the unique needs and priorities of First Nations, the Province is working with First Nations on a separate plan to renew social assistance in First Nations communities.

Developmental services

The government is committed to helping to protect the needs of Ontario’s most vulnerable adults and providing a sustainable system that addresses their needs.

In 2020-21 Ontario has invested approximately $2.9 billion in services for people with developmental disabilities. Approximately $2 billion was dedicated to providing residential services and supports.

MCCSS also continues to support investment for COVIDcovid supports in congregate care settings, including infection prevention and control (IPAC) resources, COVID 19 Residential Relief Fund and personal protective equipment.

$13 million over three years, beginning in 2021–22, to assist more people with developmental disabilities in accessing community housing and expanding the Adult Protective Service Worker program to support them to live independently.

The ministry will continue to work towards improving the developmental services system and deliver improved results for the people of Ontario.

Indigenous community and prevention supports

The government continues to work with Indigenous communities and organizations to build thriving, healthy communities. This includes reducing family violence and violence against Indigenous women and children, and supporting the healing, health and wellness of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and communities in Ontario through the longstanding Indigenous Healing and Wellness Strategy. In 2020-21, Ontario invested more than $71 million in a continuum of health, healing and wellness programs that are designed and delivered by and for Indigenous peoples in First Nations and in urban and rural communities.

The ministry also invested $86.4 million in Indigenous Community and Prevention Supports to support improved outcomes and well-being for Indigenous children, youth and families. These investments are part of the continuing work the government is undertaking in its response to the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Ontario Autism Program

In December 2019, after receiving and reviewing the Autism Advisory Panel’s recommendations, the government announced key elements of the needs-based Ontario Autism Program (OAP). The OAP will offer a range of services and interventions designed to respond to the individual needs of children and youth on the autism spectrum, and their families, including core clinical services, foundational family services, early years supports and entry to school services, urgent response services, and care coordination. The OAP will also establish an Independent Intake Organization (IIO) which will be accountable to the ministry for the oversight and administration of key program elements provincially and within each of the five ministry-defined regions, with the goal of delivering a coordinated, integrated and family-centered OAP service delivery model across Ontario.

Implementation of the new needs-based OAP is underway. In August 2020, the ministry launched Foundational Family Services. In February 2021, the ministry announced that the province will begin offering core clinical services based on a child’s individual needs. Starting in March 2021, approximately 600 children registered in the Ontario Autism Program were invited to participate in the launch of core clinical services.

The Child and Parent Resource Institute will oversee the launch, which will see families receive funding to purchase core clinical services including Applied Behaviour Analysis, speech language pathology services, occupational therapy and mental health services. Feedback from families will help the province refine the process prior to full implementation.

Several selection processes are currently underway to select service providers that will deliver services in the needs-based Ontario Autism Program. In December 2020, the ministry released calls for applications to select providers for the Independent Intake Organization and the caregiver-mediated early years programs. In March 2021, the ministry released a call for applications to select providers to deliver the entry to school program.

The ministry continues to invest in additional services and supports for families, including diagnostic services, capacity-building projects in Northern communities, and continued funding of Autism Ontario to deliver the OAP Service Navigation Program and to host the OAP Provider List.

During this transition, autism services and supports, including evidence-based behaviour services, respite services and seasonal camps continue to be provided to children and youth on the autism spectrum and their families. Families who have received a childhood budget or interim one-time funding may be eligible to receive an additional payment of $20,000 or $5,000, based on their child’s age, to purchase eligible services and supports that they feel are most appropriate for their child.

Child welfare

The government’s vision is for an Ontario where every child and youth who is in care, or who is receiving services from a Children’s Aid Society, has the supports they need to succeed and thrive.

The government has taken swift action, working with sector partners and implementing a moratorium on youth aging out of care. The moratorium has been extended until September 30, 2022.

In July 2020, the Associate Minister of Women and Children’s Issues announced the Child Welfare Redesign Strategy, which has the following five pillars:

• Strengthening family well-being through community-based prevention services that keep children safe in family-based settings
• Improving the quality of residential care provided to children and youth
• Promoting the development of stable and lifelong connections and supports for youth, with a focus on education and employment opportunities
• Improving the adoption experience and focusing on family-based options over group care where appropriate
• Creating a more efficient and effective child welfare system that is financially sustainable.

The goal for redesign is simple. We want every child and youth to have a safe, loving and stable home. We want families and communities to be strengthened and supported through preventive services and early intervention. We want youth in and from care to succeed and thrive as they transition to adulthood. When residential care is needed, we want children and young persons to receive high-quality care from skilled, caring, and competent staff and caregivers in placements that meet each child’s unique needs.

To support redesign, the government has released the Children and Young Persons’ Rights Resource as well as the Quality Standards Framework with work underway to make a youth-friendly version as well. The government has since announced $1.5 million annually in programs and services to make the adoption process easier, with additional supports for those seeking to adopt and kinship placements expected in 2021.

To take a step in specifically addressing the overrepresentation of Black communities, the government provided $650,000 in additional support for One Vision, One Voice which supports the deliver of culturally appropriate services for African-Canadian and Black children and youth in the child welfare system. Funding of $200,000 was also provided to Peel CAS to enhance the Child Welfare Immigration Centre of Excellence, which helps children's aid societies across the province address immigration status issues, such as outstanding applications for legal status of children and youth in care. The government also invested $5 million in annualized funding to enhance access to prevention-focused customary care for Indigenous children and youth.

The government acknowledges First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples should be entitled to provide, wherever possible, their own child and family services. In January 2021, Wabaseemong Independent Nations became the first Indigenous community to have their Care Code come into force in Canada. This was a historic accomplishment which was supported by the government.

In April 2021, Niijaansinaanik Child and Family Services was designated as the thirteenth Indigenous children’s aid society in the province. The official designation has enabled Niijaansinaanik Child and Family Services to provide culturally-based services and supports to more Indigenous children and families in the Districts of Nipissing and Parry Sound, and the City of Greater Sudbury.

Violence Against Women

The government is committed to preventing and addressing violence against women in all its forms. In 2020-21, the ministry invested approximately $172 million in community-based agencies across the province to provide services and supports to women and dependents who have experienced violence or are at risk of experiencing violence, including gender-based and domestic violence. This includes $3.6 million that went directly to rural and remote agencies to provide critical services to women right in their communities. This funding directly supports more than 400 agencies including Indigenous organizations providing supports to Indigenous women and children.

To ensure that those facing domestic violence do not have to stay with their abuser, the government worked with partners and leaders in the sector to keep shelters open throughout the pandemic. This included providing $40 million through the Residential Relief Fund to women’s shelters and other residential settings to keep them safe and clean. A further $30 million has been invested over two years for infection and prevention control for residential settings. In May 2020, the government also invested $1 million to support organizations in their efforts to adopt to remote services. This included $200,000 to the Assaulted Women’s Helpline.

As part of the 2021 Budget, $18.5 million will be invested over three years, beginning in 2021-22, in the Transitional Housing Support Program, to support victims of domestic violence and survivors of human trafficking to find and maintain affordable housing and help them transition to independence.

Anti-human trafficking

The province’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy is a comprehensive action plan to combat human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. It leverages interconnected programs and partnerships to maximize investment outcomes and supports a coordinated and aligned response to human trafficking in Ontario. Up to $307 million will be invested between 2020-2025 in raising awareness of the issue, protecting victims and intervening early, supporting survivors and holding offenders accountable. This is the largest investment into anti-human trafficking initiatives in Canada’s history between all levels of government.

Of the $307 million, $46 million has been given directly to organizations that support victims and survivors through the Community Supports and Indigenous-Led Initiatives Funds. These organizations will provide trauma-informed supports, culturally appropriate care and help rebuild lives. These programs will be focused on children and youth, who are often lured into trafficking when criminals exploit their vulnerabilities. Furthermore, a number of the programs are survivor-led or have survivors working within the organization to help inform and develop their work.

Building on the Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy, additional supports were announced as part of the 2021 Budget, which will help survivors of human trafficking find and maintain affordable housing. This is in addition to the legislation that was introduced to further protect victims and survivors while holding offenders accountable. This cross- government approach speaks to the magnitude of the situation and the need to work across sectors and across levels of government to stop this horrific crime in our province and country.

Family Responsibility Office

The Family Responsibility Office (FRO) is transforming the way it works to increase efficiency and address client service issues so that more money can get to families and children, enabling them to plan for their family’s future. This transformation has been achieved through investments in service improvements and technology, including alternative service channels for clients; accessible, efficient and proactive case management processes; and enhancements to FRO’s case management IT system.

Youth justice modernization

The Youth Justice modernization plan is focused on developing a comprehensive and sustainable youth justice services system to meet the needs of youth in custody/detention and on probation. This plan also focusses on rehabilitation and the important role that plays in supporting youth and enabling active participation and positive contributions to their communities. The ministry continues to explore options to make sure it has the right spaces and supports in the right places to address the needs of youth.

Human and social services transfer payment transformation

The ministry is leading cross-government efforts to achieve an efficient human and social services system by reducing the complexity of how we fund the organizations that provide services to people. We are committed to transforming systems so service providers will spend less time processing and managing transfer payment agreements, and more time working with clients and managing programs. MCCSS is an early adopter of new transfer payment management approaches which will support change management across the Ontario Public Service by engaging and coordinating efforts across ministries and sectors.

Black Youth Action Plan

The government is committed to helping Black children, youth and families achieve their full potential by removing systemic and structural barriers and giving them the tools for success. In November 2020, the province announced it was investing an additional $60 million over three years to renew existing Black Youth Action Plan programming and create a new economic empowerment stream. These additional supports are part of the 2020 Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover.

The new investments build on the success of the plan to sustain culturally focused programs that promote well-being and strengthen pathways to school, post-secondary education and careers. The new economic empowerment stream will focus on helping provide the skills and supports Black Ontarians need to overcome social and economic barriers and achieve success, including enabling them to participate in a future-oriented and talent-driven workforce.

Additionally, the new investment includes $2.25 million to help Black communities address the disproportionate impacts of COVIDcovid. The funding will be used to provide urgent supports to children, youth and families for: housing needs, food security, access to technology, education, income, health and mental health supports.

The $2.25 million is in addition to the $1.5 million COVIDcovid Emergency Fund for Black Children, Youth and Families, announced earlier in 2020.

Poverty Reduction Strategy

The ministry is responsible for the Poverty Reduction Strategy. It leads the development of an updated cross-government strategy every five years and ensures the strategy measures success by setting a target and assessing indicators of poverty reduction.

In December 2020, the province launched its new Poverty Reduction Strategy, Building a Strong Foundation for Success: Reducing Poverty in Ontario (2020-2025). The government is providing supports and services to meet the strategy’s target of increasing the number of social assistance recipients moving to employment each year.

The strategy also includes indicators that measure poverty, education, employment, and life stabilization outcomes. To monitor progress on the strategy, the ministry will publish an annual report on the government’s activities to support the strategy and updates relating to the target and indicators set out in the strategy.

Cross-ministry collaboration on social policy priorities

The ministry, in co-partnership with the Ministry of Health, is leading collaboration across ministries to develop effective solutions in response to complex policy and service delivery challenges. We will continue to actively identify and lead forward- looking, outcome-focused, and integrated social policy to improve the lives of Ontarians. MCCSS will continue to partner on social policy SMART initiatives to ensure horizontal ministry collaboration and strategic alignment across the various transformation initiatives.

Detailed financial information

Table 2: Combined operating and capital summary by vote

Historic trend table

For additional financial information, see:

https://www.ontario.ca/page/expenditure-estimates
https://www.ontario.ca/page/public-accounts
https://budget.ontario.ca/2021/index.html

Contact: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-children-community-and-social-services

Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABCs)

The mandate of the Soldiers’ Aid Commission (SAC) was expanded in January 2021 to allow financial support to all eligible veterans in the province under the Soldiers’ Aid Commission Act, 2020. The Commission provides eligible applicants with up to $2,000 over a 12-month period per household for eligible expenses. This funding supplements support offered by the Royal Canadian Legion and Veterans Affairs Canada.

MCCSS provides the Commission with annual funding for payments to applicants approved for financial assistance and for travel and meal expenses in accordance with the Travel, Meal and Hospitality Directive.

The Commission’s board of directors shall consist of at least three members and no more than 11 members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. The majority of the members of the board of directors shall consist of veterans or individuals who are either the parent, spouse, child or sibling of a veteran.

The relationship between SAC and the ministry is governed by a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the commission and the minister. The chair of the commission reports directly to the minister.

Ministry organization chart

• Deputy Minister - Janet Menard
  • Director, Policy and Operations - Seema Chhabra
  • Director, Legal Services Branch - Elaine Atkinson
  • Director, Communications - Valerie Hopper
  • Director, Delivery Unit - Chris Ling
  • ADM, Social Assistance Policy, Planning and Innovation Division– Nelson Loureiro
    • Director, Business Implementation and Innovation - Sunny Sharma
    • Director, Social Assistance Program Policy - Laura Belfie
    • Director, Social Assistance Strategy and Transformation - Lindsay Jones
  • ADM, Social Assistance Operations Division– Drew Vanderduim
    • Director, Social Assistance Service Delivery - Patti Redmond
    • Director, Social Assistance Central Services - Andres Laxamana
    • Director, Social Assistance Performance and Accountability - Jeff Bowen
  • ADM, Youth Justice - David Mitchell
    • Director, Service Delivery - Angela James
    • Director, Strategic Innovation and Modernization - Tamara Stone
    • Director, Quality Assurance and Oversight - Mateen Khan
    • Director, Programming, Interventions and Evaluation - Bridget Sinclair
    • Regional Directors - Karen Singh, Jeff Gill, Linda Chihab, Kevin Pal, Sandra Russell
  • ADM, Child Welfare and Protection - David Remington
    • Director, Residential Services - Kevin Lockwood
    • Director, Child Welfare Operations - Michael Richardson
    • Director, Child Welfare Secretariat - Monica Neitzert
    • Director, Children and Youth at Risk - Saba Ferdinands
    • Director, Child Well-being - Michelle Braakman
    • Regional Directors - Karen Singh, Jeff Gill, Linda Chihab, Kevin Pal, Sandra Russell
  • ADM, Children with Special Needs - Jennifer Morris
    • Director, Children’s Facilities - Shannon Bain
    • Director, Autism Branch - Sarah Hardy
    • Director, Integration & Program Effectiveness Branch - Stacey Weber
    • Director, Child Development and Special Services Branch - Jane Cleve
    • Regional Directors - Karen Singh, Jeff Gill, Linda Chihab, Kevin Pal, Sandra Russell
  • ADM, Community Services - Rupert Gordon
    • Director, Community and Indigenous Supports Branch - Jennifer Richardson
    • Director, Developmental and Supportive Services Branch - Jody Hendry
    • Director, Community and Developmental Services Policy Branch - Laura Summers
    • Director, Implementation and Reporting Branch - Christine Kuepfer
    • Regional Directors - Karen Singh, Jeff Gill, Linda Chihab, Kevin Pal, Sandra Russell
  • ADM, Business Intelligence & Practice - Aklilu Tefera
    • Director, Data Strategy and Solutions Platform - Mandeep Flora
    • Director, Analytics and Measurement - Cindy Perry
    • Director, Integrated Analytics Exploration - Vacant
  • ADM, Strategic Policy - Karen Glass
    • Director, Planning and Strategic Policy - Mike Bannon
    • Director, Integration & Business Improvement - Sheila De Cuyper
    • Director, Transformation and Modernization – Charene Gillies
    • Director, Youth Strategies – Tatum Wilson
    • Director, Human and Social Services Transfer Payment Modernization – Doris Dumais
  • Chief Information Officer, Children, Youth and Social Services I&IT Cluster - Alex Coleman
    • Director, Community and Social Services I&IT Solutions - Stanley Shiah
    • Director, Children and Youth I&IT Solutions - James Hamilton
    • Director, Shared I&IT Solutions - Jairo Munoz
    • Director, Business Optimization and Accountability Office – Kelly Garant
    • Director, I&IT Operations - Paul de Gray
  • ADM/CAO, Business Planning and Corporate Services - Drew Vanderduim
    • Director, Business Planning - Teuta Dodbiba
    • Director, Controllership and Fiscal Reporting - Sean Keelor
    • Director, Operational Finance - Shella Salazar
    • Director, Strategic Business Unit - Patricia Kwasnik
    • Director, Community Services Audit Services - Gordon Nowlan
    • Director, Capital Planning and Delivery - Tony Lazzaro
    • Director, Corporate Services - Maxine Daley
  • ADM, Family Responsibility Office - Trevor Sparrow
    • Director, Client Liaison - Bani Bawa
    • Director, Case Triage & Resolution - Eric Dorman
    • Director, Strategic and Operational Effectiveness - Michelle Lewis
    • Director, Client Operations - Erin O’Connor
    • Director, FRO Legal Services - Hari Viswanathan
• Deputy Minister – Women’s Issues - Marie-Lison Fougère
  • EA to the Deputy Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues - Laura Jamer
  • Executive Lead, Office of Women’s Issues - Barbara Simmons
    • Director, Programs & Integration - Yvonne Ferrer
    • Director, Strategic Policy & Analysis - Barbara Simmons

Annual report

Overview

The expanded Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services was created in June 2018. The ministry brought together several major social programs and services that support Ontarians. This year’s focus was on streamlining program delivery and reducing costly and unnecessary administration work to improve outcomes for people.

2020-21 Results

Response to COVIDcovid

The government continued to make significant investments to support individuals and families in financial crisis and those who rely on social services. This included $562 million in social services relief funding to help protect the health and safety of the province’s most vulnerable people in response to the COVIDcovid pandemic.

This investment included $52 million for targeted relief and support for individuals and families in financial crisis, including those who are not receiving social assistance.

The ministry created an Emergency Benefit, a temporary monthly benefit, that was available from March to July 2020 to assist with immediate and exceptional costs related to COVIDcovid for Ontario Works and ODSP clients. Approximately 259,000 social assistance recipients and families received the Emergency Benefit.

Ontario Works and ODSP clients continued to have access to discretionary benefits through Ontario Works to assist with one-time exceptional needs. The ministry worked closely with the 47 municipal and district service manager partners, including 102 Ontario Works First Nation delivery agents who determine allocations based on community need.

Recognizing the impact of the COVIDcovid outbreak, the ministry also partially or fully exempted some income types received under Canada’s federal COVIDcovid benefits for existing social assistance recipients, while allowing them to retain access to the health and other benefits they receive through Ontario Works and ODSP if the federal benefits would otherwise make them financially ineligible. The policy will be in effect until September 30, 2021.

The ministry also made significant new investments to support service partners across the province including but not limited to:

• $40 million through the COVIDcovid Residential Relief Fund (CRRF) to support residential service providers to address financial and service delivery pressures resulting from exceptional challenges during the current outbreak in managing the health and well-being of children, youth and adults supported in residential settings, as well as the staff who support them.
• $30 million over two years to help both non-residential and residential service providers in the social services sector continue infection prevention and control measures.
• $10 million in support of First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners and urban Indigenous service providers with COVIDcovid and related emergency-response initiatives that will promote community health and well-being.
• $1 million in one-time funding to help frontline gender-based violence agencies adapt to remote service delivery and support continued operation during COVIDcovid pandemic.

School-aged children had access to healthy and nutritious food while schools were closed through an additional investment of $1 million in the Student Nutrition Program.

The government placed a moratorium on youth aging out of care. This was to ensure that no youth who turned 18 or were receiving extended services until aged 21 would be involuntarily removed from their supports. This moratorium has been extended until September 30, 2022.

The ministry also made significant investments to support workers in congregate care settings or who work primarily with vulnerable populations, where maintaining physical distancing is difficult or not possible.

Through the Pandemic Pay program and the temporary wage enhancement the ministry provided more than $330 million to support front-line workers. This funding supported workers who provide direct assistance with personal care, respite and community activity participation in residential settings, day programming and children and youth service settings across the province. Effective October 1, 2020, these workers also included those that provide direct support services for adults with a developmental disability.

Temporary wage enhancements were also available to eligible full- and part-time staff employed by family and individual recipients of the direct funding programs.

Through the COVIDcovid Emergency Fund for Black Children, Youth and Families, the ministry provided $3.75 million to help Black communities address the disproportionate impacts of COVIDcovid by providing urgent supports to children, youth and families, including housing needs, food security, access to technology, education, income, health and mental health supports.

The ministry continued to work closely with its agencies and partners through this challenging time to see what other measures can be taken to support them. These financial commitments will continue to help Ontario’s most vulnerable get through this difficult and challenging time.

In March 2020 the supply chain of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was centralized under the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services and the Ministry of Health. As supply of PPE has increased, the distribution of PPE has gradually expanded from Congregate Care settings (e.g., Developmental Services and Children’s residential facilities), Children’s Aid Societies and Ontario Disability Support Program Offices to include Non-Residential TPRs; Indigenous Programs; Outside Paid Resource facilities; and internal ministry key operations including program inspectors.

The ministry continues to work with the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS) to provide warehousing and delivery of PPE for the above organizations. The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies currently distributes Personal Protective Equipment to Children’s Aid Societies; Indigenous Programs; TPR Residential and Non-Residential; Outside Paid Resource facilities; internal ministry key operations including program inspectors and Ontario Disability Support Program Offices.

MCCSS is focused on providing essential PPE items through the MCCSS supply chain and have determined essential PPE as: gloves, gowns, hand sanitizer, face shields, surgical/procedural masks, disinfectant wipes. Niche/specialized PPE availability is driven by demand and may be available through the MCCSS supply chain.

As organizations providing residential services or congregate care re-open / transition back from remote work, an increase for ongoing funding for PPE to support social distancing is anticipated. The ministry will continue monitoring the needs of the sector.

Developmental and Community Services  

In 2020-21 Ontario invested approximately $2.9 billion in services for people with developmental disabilities. Approximately $2 billion was dedicated to providing residential services and supports.

In addition, the 2020 Budget included a $30 million investment over the next two years, to help both residential and non-residential service providers in the social services sector continue infection prevention and control measures. This includes supports to people with developmental disabilities, shelters, and residential settings for survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking, and children’s residential settings.

Services provided may include speech therapy, employment, supported accommodation, and help participating in the community or with activities of daily living. Some individuals may require higher levels of support like full residential care and other specialized services.

The Passport program now supports 53,541 adults with a developmental disability by providing direct funding to support activities of daily living, community participation and caregiver respite. This included 3,590 approvals completed by Passport Agencies as of February 28, 2021.

Interpreting services

In 2020-21, Ontario funded the Canadian Hearing Services to provide Interpreting Services to more than 9,000 people who are deaf, deafened, hard of hearing and deafblind.

Interpreting Services facilitate communication between adults who are deaf, deafened, hard of hearing or deafblind and those with hearing and/or who do not use ASL/LSQ/non-standard forms of visual language in a variety of health, mental health, and community settings. Further, in keeping with the recognition of equality rights under the Charter identified in the Supreme Court of Canada’s Eldridge decision (1997), Interpreting Services enable the administration and funding of emergency sign language Interpreting Services as it pertains to health or mental health services.

Intervenor services

In 2020-21, Ontario funded 21 transfer payment recipients to provide Intervenor Services to more than 400 people who have a combined loss of both hearing and vision.

The ministry continued to work with the Intervenor Services sector to finalize components of the Renewal Strategy, including the introduction of a needs-based funding model, which serves to modernize the program and provide a more transparent, accessible, equitable and provincially consistent experience for people who are deafblind while strengthening the program’s overall accountability and long- term sustainability.

Ontario Autism Program

The ministry announced on December 17, 2019 that it was adopting the key recommendations of the Ontario Autism Program Advisory Panel on the design of a comprehensive, family centred and needs-based autism program. Aligned with the recommendations of the Advisory Panel, the new program will offer a range of services and supports designed to respond to the individual needs of children and youth on the autism spectrum, and their families. Families will have access to the following service pathways and program supports in the new program:

• Core clinical services that include Applied Behaviour Analysis, speech language pathology services, occupational therapy and mental health services.
• Foundational family services for all families in the program to build their capacity support their child’s learning and development.
• Early years supports and entry to school services to help young children access critical services when they will benefit most, and to prepare them to enter school.
• Urgent Response Service to support children and youth who are in service, or are waiting for service, and have significant and immediate needs.
• Care Coordinators to support families throughout their journey by providing orientation to the program, service planning and navigation, and help with managing transitions.

An Implementation Working Group was established in January 2020 to provide input to the ministry on the implementation of key program design elements. The Implementation Working Group is composed of a broad range of research and clinical experts: autism service providers, self-advocates, individuals with autism and parents, and representatives from Ontario’s northern and Indigenous communities.

Implementation of the new needs-based OAP is underway. In August 2020, the ministry launched Foundational Family Services. In February 2021, the ministry announced the province will begin offering core clinical services based on a child’s individual needs. Starting in March 2021, approximately 600 children registered in the Ontario Autism Program were invited to participate in the launch of core clinical services.

The Child and Parent Resource Institute will oversee the launch, which will see families receive funding to purchase core clinical services including Applied Behaviour Analysis, speech language pathology services, occupational therapy and mental health services. Feedback from families will help the province refine the process prior to full implementation.

Calls for Applications to select service providers to deliver caregiver-mediated early years programs and for the Independent Intake Organization were released in December 2020.

Social Assistance

In 2019-20, about one million Ontarians monthly received some form of social assistance. Efforts were focused on service excellence, organizational effectiveness and accountability. The ministry also made technology advancements, enhanced staff training, made stronger partnerships with community partners and streamlined processes to improve service delivery and ensure fiscal responsibility.

On September 30, 2020, the Minister announced a new recovery and renewal plan to build a more responsive, efficient and person-centred social assistance system to get people back to work and help the economy recover from the COVIDcovid crisis.

As part of the first phase of the social assistance recovery and renewal plan, the province is focusing on improved access to employment and training services, developing new digital tools and modern service options, and ways to process financial assistance faster. The province has also worked with municipalities to design a vision for social assistance transformation to ensure people are getting the right supports at the right time so they can re-enter the workforce. The vision was announced in February 2021 and outlines plans for a new social assistance delivery model that would allow frontline workers to focus on results for people rather than paperwork.  Under the proposed new delivery model:

• The province would focus on overseeing social assistance applications and payments making it quick and easy for people to access the system while safeguarding program integrity. Currently 47 municipalities and District Social Services Administration Board service managers co-fund and manage delivery of social assistance in Ontario.
• Municipal partners would use their expertise to deliver person-centred casework and knowledge of local supports to help people get back to work and access supports to stabilize their lives such as housing and health care.

The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) and the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities (MTCU), now Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD), have been working together to strengthen employment services for those on social assistance. The ministries have proceeded with the implementation of the transformed and integrated employment service delivery model in three prototype areas – Region of Peel, Hamilton-Niagara, and Muskoka- Kawarthas.

Employment Services Transformation was implemented in January 2021 in the three prototype areas in the province. The implementation included the introduction of the Common Assessment tool that will support assessing clients’ needs in a consistent approach as well as the introduction of the Action Plan functionality to support life stabilization activities including the tracking of goals, referrals and barriers.

The integration of social assistance employment supports into Employment Ontario aligns with the social assistance recovery and renewal plan as it will free up resources in social assistance offices, allowing staff to have an increased focus on life stabilization services and become an integral part of the support network that helps people stabilize their lives so they can achieve their full potential and have job success.

Learnings and outcomes from the prototype sites will be used to information subsequent phases of transformation.

Child Welfare

In July 2020, the Associate Minister of Women and Children’s Issues announced Ontario’s Strategy to Redesign the Child Welfare System. This strategy was developed following broad engagement with youth, families, caregivers, Indigenous partners, frontline workers, lawyers and child welfare sector leaders, as well as an external review of the child welfare system.

The multi-year Child Welfare Redesign Strategy focuses on building a continuum of services that supports people over their life course, to meet the needs of children and their families. Services will focus on strengthening families and communities through prevention, early intervention and seeking more permanent homes for children and youth in care when they cannot stay in their own homes or communities. It also focuses on providing children and youth in care with high-quality residential care and the supports they need to be safe, succeed and thrive as they transition from care to adulthood.

Some immediate steps taken include releasing the Children and Young Persons’ Rights Resource, releasing the Quality Standards Framework, and investing $5 million annually to enhance access to prevention-focused customary care for Indigenous children and youth. The government has also announced $1.5 million annually in programs and services to make the adoption process easier, with additional supports for those seeking to adopt and kinship placements expected in 2021.

To take a step in specifically addressing the overrepresentation of Black communities, the government provided $650,000 in additional support for One Vision, One Voice which supports the deliver of culturally appropriate services for African-Canadian and Black children and youth in the child welfare system. Funding of $200,000 was also provided to Peel CAS to enhance the Child Welfare Immigration Centre of Excellence, which helps children's aid societies across the province address immigration status issues, such as outstanding applications for legal status of children and youth in care. The government also invested $5 million in annualized funding to enhance access to prevention-focused customary care for Indigenous children and youth.

In March 2020, the government placed a moratorium on youth aging out of care. This was to ensure that no youth who turned 18 or were receiving extended services until aged 21 would be involuntarily removed from their supports. This moratorium has been extended until September 30, 2022. We know that even prior to the COVIDcovid outbreak, many young people leaving care were not thriving. We want to change this, and the moratorium gives us the time to develop a policy framework that is responsive to the needs of young people in and from care.

Through redesign, the government is focusing on improving ministry oversight and compliance mechanisms, strengthening requirements for staff and caregivers, and supporting consistency in high-quality service experiences for children and young persons in residential care to help ensure that children and youth are receiving the quality of care they deserve. We are reviewing the legislative and regulatory framework to determine whether changes are needed to strengthen the quality of care and accountability of licensed child and youth residential services.

Violence Against Women (VAW) Services

In 2020-21, the ministry invested approximately $172 million in community-based agencies across the province to provide services and supports to women and their dependents who have experienced violence or are at risk of experiencing violence, including gender-based and domestic violence. This funding directly supports more than 400 agencies including Indigenous organizations providing supports to Indigenous women and children.

The ministry also continued the following fiscal investments, which were first introduced in 2018:

• VAW Enhancement Funding: $11.5 million for agencies to support to their current programs, address critical service pressures, and better position them to support innovative service solutions.
• Rural and Remote Services and Supports: up to $3.6 million for rural frontline agencies to increase collaboration, strengthen service delivery, improve culturally relevant supports for Indigenous women, and reduce geographic and transportation barriers to accessing services and supports.
• Children and Youth Services and Supports: up to $2.9 million for prevention and early intervention services and supports for children and youth in VAW emergency shelters, and in Indigenous Healing and Wellness Strategy’s shelters, Healing Lodges and the Family Violence Healing Program.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

The ministry, in partnership with the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs, has taken proactive steps to respond to the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. In 2020, both ministries partnered with the Ontario Native Women’s Association to launch initial engagements on the Calls for Justice. These consultations were with community leaders, organizations and experts in violence prevention to ensure that any efforts undertaken by Ontario address a wide variety of Indigenous voices.

The government also created the Indigenous Women’s Advisory Council to provide culturally relevant advice on a range of provincial priorities. Led by Indigenous voices, the council’s expertise will help address serious issues like human trafficking, child, youth and family well-being, Ontario’s response to the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and broader violence prevention.

Another important step that was taken was the ending of birth alerts in Ontario. Birth alerts have a long and ugly history of racial prejudice in Ontario and across Canada. Eliminating them is one of the key recommendations of the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. They were officially ended in Ontario on October 15, 2020.

The government is continuing to work with Indigenous communities to develop a whole-of-government response answering the Calls for Justice and to address violence against Indigenous women, children and 2SLGBTQQIA+ persons, survivors and families. This also means working across ministries to provide long term solutions to create safer environments in Ontario.

Human Trafficking

Ontario’s Anti-human Trafficking Strategy, the largest investment in dedicated Anti- Human Trafficking supports in Canadian history, was announced in 2020. It invests $307M in total and seeks to raise awareness of the issue through training and public awareness campaigns, empowering frontline service providers to prevent human trafficking before it occurs and take action early, supporting survivors through specialized services, and giving law enforcement the tools and resources they need to hold offenders accountable. The ministry moved forward on developing and implementing a number of strategic initiatives to help combat human trafficking and to support survivors in 2020-21. These included:

• Investing $46 million over five years through the Anti-Human Trafficking Community Supports and Indigenous-led Initiatives Funds for anti-human trafficking survivor- led programs and services for children and youth who have been sexually exploited through sex trafficking. This brings the total funding directly to communities and Indigenous led organizations to $96 million over five years.
• Moving forward on the development of new multi-disciplinary police and child protection specialized intervention teams, focusing on at-risk and exploited children and youth.
• Providing funding to service providers to operate dedicated residences, licensed under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, to provide specialized support for sexually exploited children and youth ages 12 through 17 at the time of admission.
• Additional funding of $1.6M over five years to expand the Youth-in-Transition Worker Program to provide human trafficking supports to youth in care and leaving the care of Children’s Aid Societies, including workers to support specific populations, such as Indigenous children and youth.
• Moving forward on implementing specialized anti-human trafficking training on understanding and working with sexually exploited youth (SEY). This intensive training focuses on frontline professionals in sectors where the likelihood of encountering or working with individuals at risk of/being trafficked is high (e.g. child welfare, police, victim services, violence against women organizations, youth justice).
• Launching a provincewide marketing campaign targeted to teens, as well as parents of children and youth, to raise awareness and ensure that everyone knows where to get help. There is continued work to expand this campaign over the years to further raise awareness about this crime, especially to those most vulnerable such as our children and youth.
• Developing public education materials to respond to specific sector needs and expanding distribution of existing awareness materials through partnerships across government and sector.
• Releasing an interactive, digital education tool to help children and youth learn about how traffickers lure, groom and manipulate young people into trafficking, so they are equipped to recognize when it may be happening to them.
• Releasing an Indigenous-focused educational campaign designed by and for Indigenous people to support Indigenous youth, communities and caregivers that aims to connect people and provide information and resources that can assist in addressing the needs of Indigenous victims and survivors of human trafficking.
• Introducing comprehensive legislation to further underscore the government’s commitment to raising awareness of this brazen crime, protecting victims and intervening early, supporting survivors and holding offenders accountable.

Indigenous Community and Prevention Supports

The government continues to work with Indigenous partners to reduce family violence and violence against Indigenous women and children, and support the health and wellness of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and communities in Ontario.

In 2020-21, through the longstanding Indigenous Healing and Wellness Strategy, Ontario invested over $71M through pooled government funding (MCCSS, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Indigenous Affairs) in a continuum of healing, health and wellness programs across the province that are designed and delivered by and for Indigenous peoples.

The network of Indigenous-led programs and services funded through the Strategy includes Healing Lodges, Community Wellness Workers, Crisis Teams, Emergency Women’s Shelters and Family Violence Healing programs, Mental Health and Addictions Treatment and Healing Centres, and capacity building programs. Indigenous Healing and Wellness Strategy programs are delivered from more than 240 sites across the province and provide over 650 full time jobs for Indigenous peoples.

In addition, the ministry is investing $86.4 million in Indigenous Community and Prevention Supports to support improved outcomes and well-being for Indigenous children, youth and families. Through a consolidated funding approach, the ministry will work with First Nations, Inuit, Métis and urban Indigenous partners to support the development of a coordinated system of services, prioritize prevention, and build on the success of the Family Well-Being program to reduce the over-representation of Indigenous children and youth in the child welfare and youth justice systems.

Soldiers’ Aid Commission

The Soldiers’ Aid Commission was the first provincially funded veterans support program in Canada. The program provides financial support of up to $2,000 over a twelve-month period for home, health, specialized equipment, employment and personal supports to eligible Ontario Veterans and their eligible family members.

Children and Youth Services

These programs help provide children and youth with the supports they need to live, grow and thrive in their communities. Many of the children, youth and families served by the ministry are marginalized and/or have special needs. Most of the services supported by the ministry are delivered through community-based organizations, including Children’s Treatment Centres, public health units, and Children’s Aid Societies, with some services provided through direct delivery, by outside paid resources or in the form of direct funding for families to purchase supports, including respite. The ministry’s focus is on supporting services that are child, youth and family centred, high quality and integrated at the community level.

Women’s Issues

The ministry believes in an Ontario where all girls and women reach their potential. The ministry is proud to support services and programs that advance equality for women and girls. We collaborate with women’s organizations and across government to advance women’s equality, support their safety and improve their economic security.

In June 2020, Ontario established the Indigenous Women’s Advisory Council (IWAC) to provide input on actions related to human trafficking and child, youth and family well-being to the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues. The Council includes First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ leaders on violence prevention who also provide input on Ontario’s response to the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. To date, the Council has held five meetings to ensure culturally relevant and effective changes are made to policies to address violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals.

The ministry also supports the delivery of violence prevention education, victim supports and training to help women join the labour market. Examples of programs include:

• Kizhaay Anishinaabe Niin (I am a Kind Man): Delivered by the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres, Kizhaay is dedicated to engaging Indigenous men and youth in ending violence against Indigenous women and children.
• Neighbours, Friends and Family: A public education program that raises awareness about the warning signs and risk factors for domestic violence and how to intervene safely.
• Building Indigenous Women’s Leadership: Delivered by the Ontario Native Women’s Association and Equay-wuk, this program provides leadership training and mentorship to Indigenous women to help them take on leadership roles in their communities.
• Women’s Economic Security Program: Provides employment, pre-apprenticeship, entrepreneurship training and wrap-around supports to low-income women.
• Investing in Women’s Futures: Supports 23 women’s centres to deliver programs and services that promote women’s economic independence and safety.

From May 2020 to February 2021, the Associate Minister for Women’s Issues held stakeholder roundtables on various issues related to supporting women’s full economic participation in the context of the COVIDcovid recovery. The roundtables, co- hosted with other ministers, explored topics such as women’s economic security, childcare, women-owned small businesses, and increasing women’s participation in various sectors including technology, agriculture, research, politic, forestry and the environment. The feedback has been used to inform policy development and the work of Ontario’s Jobs and Recovery Committee.

The government continues to acknowledge the impacts COVIDcovid has had on women across the province. From the frontline workers who are predominantly women, moms taking a step back in their jobs to care for children or other loved ones or the increase in domestic violence, women have faced the brunt of the pandemic. In partnership with other ministries, the ministry has worked closely to provide childcare, temporary wage increases and other supports to women in the province.

At the 2020 annual meeting of Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women, Associate Minister Dunlop joined her colleagues in endorsing a Joint Declaration for a Canada Free of Gender-Based Violence. The joint declaration affirms a common vision, principles and goals for responding to gender-based violence and a commitment to further FPT collaboration. Ministers are tracking the development and launch of a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence in Fall 2021.

Youth Justice Services

The ministry administers or funds programs and services for youth in, or at risk of conflict with the law between the ages of 12 and 17 at the time of offence. Youth justice services’ programs are aligned with the principles and provisions set out in the federal Youth Criminal Justice Act and the provincial Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017. The Youth Justice Continuum of Services includes prevention, diversion, probation, custody and detention, reintegration and rehabilitation, and community-based programs.

Since the Youth Criminal Justice Actcame into force in April 2003, there has been an increased focus on prevention, diversion and community-based programs. The success of these programs has led to an 81% reduction in the number of youths admitted to custody and detention in Ontario from 2004-05 to 2019-20.