Ontario Supporting Healthy Child Growth and Development in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound

Additional Investment will help support child and family wellbeing

September 11, 2024

BRUCE-GREY-OWEN SOUND — The Ontario government is increasing the annualized funding of the Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) program. The Grey Bruce Health Unit will receive a substantial increase of $122,067 to better support children’s development and family wellbeing in Bruce, Grey and Owensound. The program connects vulnerable families to key prevention, early identification and intervention services.

“Our partnership with the Grey Bruce Public Health Unit will generate supports in the spirit of healthy families and children,” said Lisa Thompson, MPP for Huron-Bruce. “Because of the importance of a healthy start for children, I encourage people to contact the public health unit for more information,” she added.

“Family wellbeing is key to building strong and vibrant communities,” said Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Rick Byers. “By investing in healthy child development services, we are helping ensure that vulnerable families are connected to the services that support the healthy growth and development of children.”

The Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program is free and delivered through local public health units. The program offers home visits to families at risk for challenges affecting healthy child development, starting from the prenatal stage through to the child’s transition to school. It also provides universal screening for families after the birth of their babies.

“Every child deserves to have a healthy start in life so that they can fully participate at home, in school and in their community,” said Michael Parsa, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. “Our government is increasing funding in healthy child development programs to help ensure the lifelong wellbeing of mothers, children and families in Ontario.”

“On behalf of Grey Bruce Public Health, I’d like to thank MPP Rick Byers, MPP Lisa Thompson, and the Provincial Government for their ongoing support of the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program and for choosing this highly impactful program for increased funding,” says Grey-Bruce’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ian Arra. “The overarching goal of the HBHC program is to support healthy early childhood development, which is key to better mental and physical health outcomes throughout the life course. The program’s model and this additional funding will not only assist vulnerable families in Grey-Bruce, but also provide a significant return on investment for public money.”

Today’s funding announcement is part of the government’s additional investment of more than $11.7 million in healthy child development programs across the province, which includes increases of approximately:

$8.6 million for the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program
$1.4 million for the Infant Child Development program
$1.8 million for the Young Parent Services programs.

This funding will help provide services to support early intervention and optimize healthy growth, development and wellbeing for children, young parents and families.

QUICK FACTS

Ontario invests more than $90 million annually in the Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program

Nearly 30 per cent of children in Ontario have at least one developmental vulnerability at school entry that could pose a risk to their lifelong health, learning and behaviour.
In 2022-23, over 93,000 newborns and their families were screened for risks that could compromise their healthy development, and almost 7,000 families received home visiting intervention from nurses and/or lay home visitors.

The Infant Child Development Program provides home-based early intervention services from birth to school entry for families of children with developmental disability and/or risk for developmental delay. The program is often the first program accessed by families with children with special needs.

Young Parent Services programs offer a range of community-based services for pregnant and parenting youth to optimize healthy growth, development and wellbeing for young parents and their children and support them to realize their potential.

For more information, please contact:

MPP Lisa Thompson’s Constituency Office: 519-523-4251 or lisa.thompsonco@pc.ola.org

MPP Rick Byers’ Constituency Office: 519-371-2421 or rick.byers@pc.ola.org