Announcements

Ontario Expanding Mental Health Services for Children and Youth - 22-10-2020

The Ontario government is providing $24.3 million in targeted investments to hire additional staff, increase access to counselling and therapy, create new programs to help manage stress, depression and anxiety, and address eating disorders and other challenges facing children and youth. This funding is part of the government's $176 million investment in the Roadmap to Wellness, a comprehensive plan to build a fully connected mental health and addictions system across the province.

Read the full press release.

 Ways to Enjoy Halloween Safely - 21-10-2020

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health strongly advises people to spend Halloween with their own household and not host or attend Halloween parties because of the increased risk of COVID-19. When sending your children to school on Halloween incorporate a face covering into their costume this year.

If you are trick or treating, please keep to your household and keep your distance from others. Remember, not all homes may be giving out candy this year for their own safety. If you do hand out candy, consider prepackaging the treats in separate bags or using tongs to hand out the candy. Keep your distance from the children and wear a face covering.

If you choose to participate in Halloween this year, please remember:

• Restrict close contact to only those you live with
• Practice physical distancing of six feet with anyone you don’t live with
• Wear a face covering, while trick-or-treating and when handing out candy – a Halloween costume is not a substitute for a face covering
• Practice good hand hygiene
• Stay home if feeling ill or if you have mild symptoms
• Download the COVID Alert App

WDG Public Health is monitoring community spread and positive cases of COVID-19 in our communities and will adjust our advice if a rise in cases warrants more precautions.

Ontario Taking Action to Improve Child Care - 19-10-2020

Provincial reports highlight government’s progress to improve the system:

The Strengthening Early Years and Child Care in Ontario report details how Ontario is helping to provide more child care and before and after school spaces for parents, as well as increasing opportunities for home child care providers. The report was developed with input from families and sector partners. These same groups provided input into the review of the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014.

The government has also posted the Early Years and Child Care Annual Report 2020, which provides an annual overview and year-over-year trends of Ontario's early years and child care sector. It is clear that Ontario's child care system continues to grow. 

Read the full press release.

 The BHIVE is Now Open! 18-09-2020

Big Brothers Big Sisters is Excited to Safely Open the BHive!

The Youth Action Committee has been working to stay connected virtually over the last six months and is now ready to come together in small groups. The BHive will be offering programs and services for youth that will build their social emotional competence, mental health and well being, and educational engagement and employment readiness. 

For more information visit the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Centre Wellington BHive page.

LOCATED IN THE SKYLINE COMMUNITY HUB: 900 TOWER STREET UNIT 100-A, FERGUS, ON

(enter the glass door between Pet Valu and Mark’s)

The Honourable Rob Black, Senator's Statement on the Integrated Youth Services Network! 16-09-2020

The Honourable Rob Black, Senator, makes a statement on the Integrated Youth Services Network (IYSN) to the Canadian Senator's Group. View the video.

The Integrated Youth Services Network is a place where youth between the ages of 12-26 can go to seek support for mental health challenges, substance abuse, education, employment, training, housing and much more. It is a collaborative project that involves over 30 organizations under the leadership of the Rotary Club of Guelph. These organizations include:

• Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Centre Wellington
• University of Guelph
• YMCA-YWCA of Guelph
• Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington
• Guelph Community Foundation
• East Wellington Community Services
• Minto Mental Health
• Shelldale Family Gateway

This is a partnership of service organizations and volunteers united in the common goal to build a new standard of care, support and services for youth. 

 IYSN will feature 7 Youth Centres across the City of Guelph and Wellington County, where youth can go for support and guidance or just for a safe place to hang out. Youth will have access to programs and services such as education, career support, counselling and peer to peer programs.

Senator Black highlighted the importance of having Youth Hubs located in rural areas, stating that access and availability to rural youth is important due to unreliable internet connectivity and physical distance from urban centres.

1 in 5 youth 15-26 experience mental health or substance use disorders.

Since 2007, hospitalizations in Guelph and Wellington County increased by 223% for mental health and behavioural disorders and by 211% for self-harm.

This network was created to respond to the lack of adequate and accessible services to respond to these challenges and to ensure that youth and families don't fall through the cracks.

The Senator applauded the initiative and thanked the organizations involved in contributing to the creation of the IYSN.

ACEs & Resilience Training Modules Available - 28-08-2020

The ACEs Coalition of Guelph & Wellington is pleased to announce the release of the ACEs & Resilience Learning Modules. 

The free, online, self-directed ACEs & Resilience Learning Modules are intended for human service professionals (including but not limited to, Primary Care Providers, Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses, Social Workers, Outreach Workers and Pharmacists) interested in learning more about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Resilience. Content is also useful for educators, including early childhood educators, volunteers working with children and families, or anyone wanting to develop a better understanding of the relationship between early life experiences and long-term health. All participants will receive a certificate of recognition upon completion. 

This online course includes the following five modules, and may be completed in 5-7 hours:

• Module 1: An Introduction to Adverse Childhood Experiences
• Module 2:  The Impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences
• Module 3: Resilience
• Module 4: Taking Action to Prevent and Reduce the Effects of ACEs and Build Resilience
• Module 5: ACEs and Resilience Practice Case

The ACEs Coalition is working towards a resilient community that prevents and reduces the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Guelph and Wellington County. For more information, visit https://acescoalition.ca

Health Alert: Substances Causing Symptoms of Extreme Sedation - 20-08-2020

For additional information and resources, visit the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health website.

 Ontario Resumes Infant Hearing Checks - 19-08-2020

Additional funding will increase audiology capacity to screen infants impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak

August 18, 2020 11:00 A.M.

Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

TORONTO — The Ontario government is providing $3.8 million to support hearing checks for infants who did not receive the universal newborn hearing screen due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Over the past several months, Infant Hearing Program lead agencies suspended the newborn hearing screen commonly provided pre-discharge from hospitals and in community locations based on the advice of health officials.

As the province re-opens, Infant Hearing Program lead agencies are now starting to safely resume in-person services. Understanding how vital the Infant Hearing Program is to the development and wellness of infants, this additional investment will increase audiology capacity by hiring audiologists and increasing referrals for hearing checks. Newborns who did not receive a newborn hearing screen can now do so.

“Supporting the health and well-being of newborns and their families is a priority,” said Todd Smith, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. “These additional funds mean that newborns who missed their hearing screening will now be able to receive this vital service, and that concerns or risks can be addressed early and infants are provided with the support they need as soon as possible.”

Ontario’s Infant Hearing Program provides universal hearing tests for newborn babies to detect signs of early hearing loss in children. Infants who are identified as having hearing loss are then referred to a specialist who will work with his/her parents to ensure they have the resources to develop the critical language and literacy skills needed to be successful in school and in their communities.

 

Read the full news release.

Ontario Takes Additional Steps to Better Protect Students and Staff - 17-08-2020

Government makes further investments to ensure a safe return to school in September

TORONTO — The Ontario government is providing more than half a billion dollars in supports to school boards to ensure schools across the province will reopen safely in September and to protect students and staff. These supports will enable school boards to provide more physical distancing in classrooms and direct funding to utilize non-school community spaces, and will allow boards to make adjustments based on their local needs.

Details on these important updates for the 2020-2021 school year were provided today by Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, and Dr. David Williams, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, following extensive consultations with leading medical experts across Ontario.

"We have demonstrated throughout this outbreak that we will deliver the strongest and safest plan in Canada for Ontario students, with a recognition that we will continuously strengthen it over time," said Minister Lecce. "This investment and access to reserves will enable more social distancing and improve air quality, and ultimately strengthen the layers of protection to keep students and staff safe." 

Ontario is building on its plan and taking additional steps to ensure a safe return to schools in September, based on the best medical advice available. The government is allowing boards to make necessary adaptations, in consultation with their local public health unit. Adaptations could include smaller class sizes and leasing additional space. Additional measures include:

• Unlocking access to reserves up to $496 million, an increase of $244 million, by allowing boards to access up to 2 per cent of their operating budget from their prior year accumulated surplus. This funding can be applied to local priorities of each board, based on the immediate needs on the ground to prepare for the start of school. For boards that do not have sufficient reserves, the government will provide up to an additional $11 million in funding to support equitable school re-opening plans provincewide.
• Providing a record-setting $50 million in one-time funding to support improved ventilation, air quality and HVAC system effectiveness in schools. School boards will continue to maximize their use of existing school renewal funding, which totals over $1.4 billion this school year. Boards will focus on improving air systems in older schools, portables, and in neighbourhoods with higher rates of community transmission.

The government is also releasing a Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM)  that ensures students receive a high quality and consistent teacher-led remote learning experience. This directive will significantly strengthen minimum expectations, as well as provide a consistent approach across the province to ensure students are fully engaged in their learning, and have a predictable timetable for synchronous, live learning. It will include ministry-set requirements on the minimum time for synchronous learning by grade, protocols for communicating with parents and students and access to technology. The directive also outlines effective practices, such as training and technical support, which will enhance the implementation of synchronous instruction for students and staff.

In addition, the government is ensuring accountability for parents and an improved remote learning experience by investing $18 million to help school boards hire principal and administrative support to better deliver and oversee synchronous, live learning. Students will continue to have several opportunities throughout the school year to re-enter classroom learning, and boards need to provide at least one re-entry point in the fall.

"We are taking action to ensure live, synchronous learning is improved, providing parents with consistency and a timetable to mirror the in-class experience," said Minister Lecce. "In order for remote learning to be successful, we are urging unions to embrace this form of learning that parents expect and students deserve."

The ministry will continue working closely with public health and school boards to monitor and report on the health status of school communities as part of the government's outbreak management plan.

Read the full News Release.

Ontario Continues to Gradually and Safely Reopen Child Care - 17-08-2020

EarlyON Child and Family Centres will also be permitted to reopen with in-person programming along with before- and after-school programs for school aged children which will be permitted to operate with standard ratios and maximum group size requirements. All of these programs will be subject to health and safety protocols in order to keep kids safe.

"Our government is gradually and safely supporting child care expansion to ensure moms and dads across the province can return to work with confidence," said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. "We will continue to ensure strict health and safety protocols remain in place, to keep our youngest learners safe." 

The Ministry of Education will continue to work closely with municipal service managers, First Nations, and childcare operators to maximize capacity and access for families over the coming weeks. This includes revised health and safety operational guidance, additional funding parameters, and direction on providing notice to parents for placements. Licensees will continue to be required to maintain ratios and group sizes as set out under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA).

The government will continue to follow the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the COVID-19 Command Table to ensure the health and safety of the children and staff is never compromised as childcare capacity expands to 100%. The enhanced health and safety procedures that were put in place as part of our re-opening plan, will remain in place, and in some instances strengthened, to protect children, staff and families, including:

• Requiring all child care staff to wear masks at all times, effective September 1;
• Ensuring frequent cleaning of child care centres;
• Screening of children and staff before entering a childcare facility;
• Maintaining attendance records for rigorous contact tracing and coordination with local public health authorities;
• Ensuring frequent hand washing and proper hand hygiene for children and staff; and
• Establishing clear and rigid case management protocols in the event a staff member or child becomes ill, or tests positive for COVID-19.

"Our commitment to the health and safety of the children and staff, will never waver," continued Minister Lecce. "Child care and early years programs will operate with additional health and safety procedures in place upon fully reopening. And rest assured, if at any time the health and safety of the children is jeopardized, we will take action immediately."

Ontario will also provide additional funding, with support from the federal government through the Safe Restart Agreement, to help child care operators and EarlyON Child and Family Centres purchase cleaning supplies, PPE and support staffing needs related to new procedures.

Visit the Ontario Newsroom to see the full press release and access additional resources. 

Ontario Building and Expanding Schools across the Province - 24-07-2020

Modern Facilities Will Strengthen Student Learning and Increase Access to Child Care

The Ontario government is investing over $500 million to build 30 new schools and make permanent additions to 15 existing facilities, supporting over 25,000 student spaces across the province. These new, modern schools will create the foundation for a 21st century learning environment for thousands of students across the province. This investment will also generate nearly 900 new licensed child care spaces to ensure families across the province are able to access child care in their communities.

Details were provided today by Premier Doug Ford and Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education.

"Our government is making a significant capital investment in our school system," said Premier Ford. "By making these smart investments today, we will ensure our students and teachers have access to modern facilities to learn with features like high-speed Internet, accessible ramps and elevators, and air conditioning, while providing parents with access to more licensed child care spaces."

The government is investing over $12 billion in capital grants over 10 years, including over $500 million invested in this year alone to build critical new school capital projects and permanent additions. Today's announcement continues to build upon the government's commitment to invest up to $1 billion over five years to create up to 30,000 licensed child care spaces in schools, including 10,000 spaces in new schools. These new projects will also result in the creation of new jobs in the skilled trades as over $500 million of major infrastructure projects break ground in short order.

"It is unacceptable that too many schools in our province continue to lack the investment that our students deserve," said Minister Lecce. "That is why this government is making a significant investment to build new schools, to extensively renovate existing schools, and expand access to licensed child care spaces in our province. Our government is modernizing our schools, our curriculum, and the delivery of learning, to ensure students are set up to succeed in an increasingly changing world."

Read the full News Release.

Free Same Day Mental-Health Clinic Coming to Harriston, Surrounding Area

24-07-2020

Thanks to a grant through the Emergency Community Support Fund from United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin, the town of Harriston and the surrounding area in Minto County will now have access to 100% fully funded same day mental-health services through Family Counselling and Support Services for Guelph-Wellington (FCSSGW).

The weekly clinic is set to start on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 and will be virtual in nature to begin. Clients will be able to call in to arrange a same-day appointment between 11 am – 6 pm with a registered therapist. Brief therapy will be offered in follow-up sessions as required. The physical office will reside in LaunchIt Minto located on Elora Street North in Harriston.

“We are excited to welcome Family Counselling and Support Services for Guelph-Wellington to Minto. The service provided by FCSSGW will support the mental health and wellbeing of residents within the Town of Minto and surrounding communities, including members in the agricultural community,” said Jessica Dettman, Minto Mental Health Coordinator/Children’s Programs Coordinator.

“Mental health related services and supports are often less accessible and available in rural communities. Rural communities such as the Town of Minto and surrounding areas have felt the direct impact of these barriers to accessing mental-health services, which emphasizes the need for greater support services in our area. Individuals living in rural communities often have to travel to urban areas to access the services they require, however with the FREE Same-Day Counselling coming to Harriston, we are hopeful that community members will receive the appropriate mental-health support they need in a timely and affordable manner.”

Mental-health issues can escalate quickly and having access to early intervention through same-day services delivered by expert therapists means clients can expect to leave the clinic with an action plan and hope.

“We have seen mental health struggles impact rural communities especially hard and have been advocating to make this service available for a long time. Clients ranging from farmers in distress, families coping with youth depression, students with school and social pressures, and more have found hope in an otherwise tough time,” said executive director Joanne Young Evans.

Funding for the clinic runs until March 31, 2021, and FCSSGW is hopeful it will be able to find funding to continue this critical service. More information about call-in times, contact numbers, and protocols will be made available closer to the launch date.

Ontario Supports Children and Youth During COVID-19 

12-06-2020

 Ontario Helping Parents Return to Work - 09-06-2020